HBO Max head of original programming Sarah Aubrey teased the upcoming “Harry Potter” series at Series Mania, saying “the world that has been created is absolutely extraordinary.”
During a keynote address at the TV conference in Lille, France on Tuesday, Aubrey discussed the experience of recently taking influencers to the show’s set, recalling how some “burst into tears.”
This was especially gratifying as the streamer “made such a big commitment to this show” by filming all the books and it was a “financial investment we normally wouldn’t make.”
“It’s just very special working on something that means that much. There’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also very, very special,” Aubrey said.
“The world that has been created is absolutely extraordinary,” she continued, displaying the first image from the series that was revealed just before the panel kicked off. The photo shows Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter walking up to the quidditch pitch while wearing a Gryffindor cloak with his name and number on it.
“The journey with these incredible books continues and I’m so excited for all of you to see it and be a part of it,” Aubrey said.
The upcoming “Harry Potter” series is currently filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and is targeting a 2027 release, with each season dedicated to one of Rowling’s books. Led by showrunner Francesca Gardiner (“His Dark Materials”) and “Succession” director Mark Mylod, the series stars newcomers McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton as Harry, Ron and Hermione, respectively.
At a panel during Content London in December, Aubrey shared that she would be visiting the “Harry Potter” set during her time in the U.K. “I just keep thinking, it’s such a delightful adaptation of the books,” she teased. “And I think when people watch it, they [will] think, ‘These are the books.’”
HBO Max is gearing up to launch in the U.K. and Ireland on Thursday. At Content London, Aubrey said the “Harry Potter” series is a great representation of the U.K. TV industry. “It’s created by a British writer, it’s directed by a British filmmaker and its craftspeople are the best that this country has to offer,” she said. “I’m so excited for everyone to see it.”
