'Harry Potter' books will be adapted into a decade-long TV series

Harry Potter and his friends are coming back to screens in a new TV series, which will stream on a new service called Max, Warner Bros. Discovery announced. Each season of the decade-long show will be based on one book in the beloved series by author J.K. Rowling, and the cast will be entirely different from the films.

"We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way," Casey Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, said in a press release Wednesday. He added that the series "will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years."

Max has promised that the show will be a "faithful adaptation" of the books, and Rowling will serve as an executive producer.

"Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series," Rowling said in the press release announcing the show.

The first of seven books in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was first published in the United Kingdom in 1997, and the final book was published in 2007. Each book was a bestseller.

The books were adapted into eight films, with the first released in 2001 and the last released in 2011, raking in $7.7 billion at the box office globally. The films "will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally," Max assured fans.

On top of that, there is a related "Fantastic Beasts" movie franchise, the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, theme parks, and countless toys and games.

Fans have reacted strongly to the news of a TV series, and many have taken to social media to criticize the decision and Rowling's involvement. Rowling has been embroiled in controversy in recent years for expressing transphobic views. [Copyright 2023 NPR]