Harry Potter TV series coming soon

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A Harry Potter TV series has been officially announced. The series is coming to the streaming service Max*, which used to be called HBO Max.

David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, announced the new series and the name change of the streaming service at a presentation on Wednesday.

The new Harry Potter series will be live-action and based on the seven Harry Potter books that were published between 1997 and 2007. Currently, the show is planned to run for 10 years and will have a new cast, different from the movies. 

J. K. Rowling, the author of the books, will be the main producer of the series.

According to the announcement, the new series will be authentic to the original books. The magic of Harry Potter will be shared with new audiences worldwide.

Warner Bros, the parent company of HBO, has kept close ties with Rowling. The company has done other Harry Potter projects with her for movies, theme parks, a stage show, and video games. The most recent video game, Howgwarts Legacy, sold more than 12 million copies in the first two weeks.

Details on the cast, writers, and creative director for the TV series haven’t been announced yet.

* The streaming service provider may be different in your country

Vocabulary

  • TV series – a collection of episodes of a story or a show, usually with the same characters
  • Officially –  done in a formal and authorized way; real
  • Announce – share information openly; to tell the public; to make a statement; to report
  • Streaming service – an online platform that allows users to watch videos, movies, or TV shows on demand over the internet (Netflix, Disney+)
  • CEO (Chief Executive officer) – the top person in a large company; president; boss
  • Live-action – movies, TV shows, or videos that are filmed with real actors and real settings; not digital or animated characters
  • Based on – inspired by; related to; derived from; 
  • Publish – to print in a book or document for everyone to read; to announce;
  • Run – when talking about TV series, “run” refers to the number of episodes or seasons a show has aired or will air
  • Cast – the group of actors who play the different characters in the show
  • Author – a person who writes a book, article, or other types of writings
  • Producer – someone who is in charge of and manages the production of a TV series or movie, including financial and creative points
  • According to – as ‘someone’ said; as stated by ‘someone’; in the opinion of ‘someone’
  • Authentic – genuine; real; true; accurate
  • Worldwide – all around the world; everywhere in the world
  • Parent company – A company that owns or controls other companies
  • Close ties – a strong connection or relationship between two or more people or organizations
  • Details – specific and important information about something
  • Creative director – a person in charge of or the boss of a project, usually in the field of advertising, marketing, design, film, or TV

Quiz

1. 
What is the new Harry Potter TV series based on?

2. 
What is the name of the streaming service that will air the new Harry Potter TV series?

Discussion Questions

  • What are your thoughts on the announcement of a new Harry Potter TV series? Are you excited about it? Are you tired of it?
  • How important is it for a TV series or movie to stay authentic to the original books it is based on? Why?
  • How do you feel about J.K. Rowling being involved in the new Harry Potter TV series despite recent controversies surrounding her? Does it affect your interest in the series? Why or why not?
  • Have you read the original Harry Potter books? If so, do you think a TV series can capture the same magic and excitement as the books? Why or why not?
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