Harry Potter Show Gets Closer To Becoming A Reality In New Development Update

Summary

• Warner Bros. is one step closer to choosing a showrunner for the Harry Potter reboot, with Succession writer Francesca Gardiner among the final three contenders.
• The chosen showrunner will have the daunting task of shaping a ten-year commitment and proving the show’s worth as a successor to the original films.
• The adaptation must find a balance between being unique while remaining faithful to the spirit of the beloved Harry Potter franchise to avoid alienating the passionate fanbase.

Warner Bros.’ planned Harry Potter reboot show is one step closer to becoming reality after the project’s most recent development update. Originally announced in April last year, Warner Bros. is currently planning to reboot the beloved Harry Potter series into a streaming television show more closely based on the original books by J.K. Rowling. Late last month, reports emerged that Warner Bros. had begun receiving pitches from prospective showrunners in a bid to determine who would be responsible for helming the highly anticipated project.

Per a new report from Deadline, the search for the Harry Potter showrunner is one step closer to completion with the shortlist reportedly now down to three names. According to the report, Succession writer Francesca Gardiner is now listed among the three final contenders after previous reports had mentioned the likes of Martha Hillier (The Last Kingdom), Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters), Tom Moran (The Devil’s Hour) and Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes). It is not clear which of those writers, if any, are also included in the current final three.

Why The Harry Potter Showrunner Has A Daunting Task Ahead Of Them

As one of the best-known and most profitable IPs in Warner Bros.’ stable, it is understandable why the studio would be looking to return to the franchise despite the original Harry Potter movies only coming to an end in 2011. While the later Fantastic Beasts prequel movies ultimately failed to recapture the widespread appeal of the movies that inspired them, Rowling’s Wizarding World still represents an enormously popular and profitable world ripe for further exploration.

As such, the apparent seriousness with which Warner Bros. is taking their search for the Harry Potter showrunner makes perfect sense, as the successful candidate will be responsible for shaping a substantial investment in both time and money for the studio. Set to take the form of an unprecedented ten-year commitment spanning all seven of Rowling’s original books, the resources being put into bringing the Harry Potter show to fruition is likely to dwarf the kind of effort that went into other ground-breaking fantasy shows like HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Nonetheless, whoever Warner Bros. eventually selects as their final pick, they will also have to face the incredibly daunting task of proving the show is a worthy successor to the original films. With countless fans first introduced to Rowling’s works via the movies starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, the successful candidate will need to find a way to differentiate their own Harry Potter adaptation while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original movies. Failing to get the balance right could potentially alienate the franchise’s substantial and passionate fanbase.

Source: Deadline