Originally, Harry Potter was supposed to arrive on HBO in 2026, but then the series was pushed back a year. This did have us somewhat concerned about the future of the show, but HBO has some great news.
One of the issues with pushing the show back was on the renewal. More often than not, the networks want to see how a show is performing before it hands out a renewal, and that means production can’t start until after the first season has aired.
While that’s annoying for viewers, it becomes a bigger problem for a series like Harry Potter, but HBO has thought about that.
Harry Potter season 2 pre-production has started
According to Deadline, the writing work on Harry Potter season 2 has officially started. The first season is still in production, so this means an early renewal. And no, this isn’t just the writers trying to get ahead with the hope of the season being picked up. HBO has given the greenlight on the second season, with HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys confirming the new season is in the works.
The idea is to make sure there is a short break in between the production of the seasons. It’s possible that the cast and crew will only get a weekend off or something similar in between production of season 1 and 2, which while gruelling, is going to be important for the release of the show.
“The plan is to still try and get it — I don’t know if it’s going to be like stop shooting Season 1 on Friday and start Season 2 on Monday. There’ll be a break in there, but we’re going to do whatever we can to not have a huge gap. For the kids, obviously, but also for viewers. You know, trying to not have massive gaps. It is a big show, lots of special effects, obviously, massive operation, but we’re going to do what we can.”
Working with kids creates problems with aging
One season is supposed to be one book in the Harry Potter series, and this creates issues when it comes to filming with children. With each book being a year of school, production needs to try to keep its process to around the same time period. A child aging by two years in between a season is more noticeable than an adult aging two years. Stranger Things and Ginny & Georgia fans will know what it’s like to see a sudden growth spurt due to delays in filming.
HBO doesn’t want that to be an issue, but this show is a “massive operation,” and that means doing everything needed to keep production on schedule. That means an early renewal.
Reducing the gaps between the seasons for viewers
On top of filming issues with the child actors, there is also the experience for the viewers. We all know what it’s like to wait years for new seasons of TV shows. Outlander, Stranger Things, and Game of Thrones fans have all been through it. The hiatus makes it difficult to remember events of the previous seasons, and it can lead to a lack of interest when new seasons come out.
So, HBO is also trying to keep the break between seasons to a minimum. With writing work starting on Harry Potter season 2, it will mean production starts sooner, and this could limit the break between the seasons to less than two years. If HBO had waited until season 1 aired to renew it, we could have had to wait until 2029 or 2030 for season 2!
Harry Potter will air on HBO.