The runtime for season 1 of HBO’sHarry Potterseries has been confirmed. Francesca Gardiner, whose previous work includesSuccession,Killing Eve, andHis Dark Materials, is the showrunner for the series, whileGame of ThronesandThe Menu’s Mark Mylod is an executive producer and director.HBO’sHarry Potterhas beentouted as a faithful adaptation of the sevenHarry Potterbooks, with filming set to commence during the summer of 2025.
As per the officialHarry Potterwebsite,Gardiner and Mylod shared that"We have 8 hours to tell the first book, so we can dig into the real depths and crevices and how the language of magic can evolve.“With many HBO series having hour-long episodes, this means thatHarry Potterseason 1 will likely consist of eight episodes. Previous comments and the revealed filming window have indicated that the series is expected to debut in late 2026 or in 2027.
What This Means For HBO’s Harry Potter Series
The Runtime Can Incorporate Missed Opportunities From The Harry Potter Movies
Gardiner and Mylod’s comments confirm thatHarry Potter’s runtime will be similar to many recent HBO series.The PenguinandHouse of the Dragonseason 2, both of which were released on HBO in 2024, had eight episodes, with each one having an approximately one hour runtime. Given the inevitably large budget that theHarry Potterseries will have and the current state of streaming television, season 1 was unlikely to have been more than 10 episodes.
How Old The Harry Potter Cast Was Compared To Their Characters
Translations from book to film can be difficult for franchises, so how accurate was Harry Potter when regarding the ages of the actors and characters?
Eight hours issignificantly longer than the two hour and 32 minute runtime of theHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonemovie. This will allow the series to includeHarry Pottercharacters, events, and locations that were not featured in the movie, with Gardiner and Mylod divulging that"We’ll get to have some fun with Peeves in the corridors!“Beyond Peeves, the potions riddle that Harry and Hermione Granger have to solve to reach the Sorcerer’s Stone is an important book scene omitted from the movie that will likely be featured given the eight-hour runtime.
Our Take On Harry Potter’s Runtime
It Should Work Well For Season 1, But Raises Questions For Future Seasons
An eight-hour runtime provides more justification for theHarry Potterbooksto be adapted as a television series. It is enough of an increase to ensure that the series will have enough time to be the faithful adaptation it has been promised to be. Since the books gradually become much longer, withHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixbeing the longest in the series,it will be intriguing to see if the runtime of later seasons is increased, or if allHarry Potterseasons will adhere to an eight-hour runtime.
Harry Potter
Cast
Harry Potter is HBO’s remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling’s popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did.
