HBO Max Harry Potter Series Predicted as Decade's Biggest Streaming Event

J.B. Perrette, the top executive overseeing Warner Bros. Discovery's global streaming and gaming division, has predicted that HBO Max's upcoming Harry Potter series will become the decade's biggest streaming event.

Perrette made the comments after visiting the production set at Leavesden Studios, where he praised the project's scale. "The magnitude of the production, the level of detail and the meticulousness of what they're doing and building elevate the cinematic component to a completely different level," he told Variety. He highlighted the advantages of the series format, which will allow deeper exploration of J.K. Rowling's novels compared to the original films. "When you think about the love for this franchise and what you can do in a series—going deeper, telling more of the story, exploring details that couldn't be captured in a two-hour movie... to Casey [Bloys, HBO Max CEO] doesn't like me saying this, but I'll say it anyway," Perrette added.

The executive, who was in the area to announce HBO Max's UK launch date, reiterated his enthusiasm: "I really believe this will be the biggest streaming event of the decade." He noted that amid Warner Bros. Discovery's corporate challenges, including its recent Netflix deal, the Harry Potter adaptation and HBO Max's European rollout have given teams clear priorities.

The series, planned for seven seasons—one per book—spans about a decade of production. It stars Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout as the lead trio, replacing Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. Additional casting includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.

Francesca Gardiner, known for Succession, serves as showrunner, while Mark Mylod from Shameless directs multiple episodes and acts as executive producer. Perrette forecast that by 2026-2027, the show could mark HBO Max's most significant audiovisual milestone and potentially streaming history's largest.