Harry Potter Series Names His Dark Materials’ Francesca Gardiner as Showrunner, Succession‘s Mark Mylod to Direct

HBO’s as-yet-untitled Harry Potter TV series is starting to take shape, with the naming of both its showrunner and a key director.

Francesca Gardiner, whose writing and producing credits include His Dark Materials and Succession, has been set to write and showrun the small-screen adaptation, while Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones, Entourage) is locked in to direct multiple episodes.

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Gardiner is a two-time Emmy winner for her work as a Succession producer, as well as a two-time WGA Award winner.

Mylod, meanwhile, is a three-time Emmy nominee for director, grabbing gold in 2023 for helming Succession‘s acclaimed “Connor’s Wedding” episode.

Harry Potter TV Series HBO
Harry Potter TV Series HBO

Harry Potter TV Series: Everything We Know

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First announced in April 2023 and described as “a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling,” the HBO series will tap a brand-new cast to lead a new generation of fandom and be “full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years.”

Ostensibly, this series could run seven seasons — matching the number of books in Rowling’s series of novels — though details on the game plan are not completely clear. When the TV series was first ordered (as a Max original), there was talk of it spanning a decade. It has yet to be confirmed, though, if that equates to 10 seasons, or simply a 10-year lifespan for the show. (Eight Harry Potter films were previously made, with the final Deathly Hallows novel getting split into two movies.)

Now bound for HBO (as part of a newly announced rebranding), the Harry Potter series is on track for a 2026 premiere.

“We’ve not been shy about our excitement around Harry Potter,” Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav said during a February earnings call. “We’re aiming for a debut in 2026.”

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