Casting for the upcomingHarry PotterTV show is currently underway, anddetails about season 1’s runtime have surfaced— and they raise a major concern about the remake’s later seasons. TheHarry PotterTV serieswill adapt the books in a new medium, andWarner Bros. intends to keep the remakegoing for 10 years. While nothing’s been confirmed, the recentHarry Pottercasting rumorsreveal the likely direction of the HBO show. Things look promising on that front, butHarry Potterseason 1’s runtimeis another story.
Executive producers Mark Mylod and Francesca Gardiner revealed that season 1 will be around eight hours long (via theHarry Potterwebsite). This means we’re probably looking at an eight-episode first season. This outing will likelyadaptHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,and while it’s on the short side, it should have enough time to cover the whole book successfully.The bigger concern is whether this will become the standard for the upcoming remake, which could create problems for its later seasons.
Harry Potter Season 1’s Runtime Is Perfect For Sorcerer’s Stone But Shouldn’t Become The Norm
The Later Books Need More Time To Tell Their Stories
Harry Potterseason 1’s eight-hour runtime is perfect forThe Sorcerer’s Stone,even if fans of the franchise would prefer longer seasons. The firstHarry Potterbook is just over 300 pages, so it isn’t so long that it needs a full 10-episode outing to do its story justice. TheSorcerer’s Stonemovie proves as much, as it brings the story to life pretty successfully in its own runtime, which is under three hours. While the TV show will need time to include film omissions, like Snape’s potions trial, it has plenty of extra hours to cover these.
The bigger concern is what HBO is planning forHarry Potter’s later seasons, which will be tasked with adapting much larger books.
The bigger concern is what HBO is planning forHarry Potter’s later seasons, which will be tasked with adapting much larger books.Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince,andDeathly Hallowsall deserve lengthier outingsto cover their narratives. And evenPrisoner of Azkabancould easily be expanded, as readers have been demanding an adaptation of the Marauders' backstory for years. The 10-year plan could mean we’re getting more than one season per book for the later sequels, but there’s no guarantee of that.
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And even that approach could lead to awkward pacing, as dedicating two shorter seasons to books likeHalf-Blood PrinceandDeathly Hallowsmight leave too much extra time. This would be filled with original content, which could mean unpopular book changes. IfHarry Potter’s remake is going to extend certain subplots and character arcs, it needs to be done carefully. Dedicating ten episodes to each of the bigger books feels like a promising way to ensure a faithful adaptation that also has room to expand on things when necessary.
Why The Later Harry Potter Books Need 10 Episodes To Do Them Justice
They’re Already Lengthy & Have A Lot To Expand On
The laterHarry Potterbooks— fromGoblet of Fireonward — are all around 700 pages or more, so they really need at least 10 episodes to do their stories justice. It isn’t just the length of these sequels that warrants this approach, either.The later installments also expand the scope of the Wizarding World and introduce more supporting characters, many of whom deserve more in-depth subplots in the upcoming TV show. There are plenty of storylines from the books that should be elaborated on, from Draco’s Death Eater narrative to Percy Weasley’s redemption.
HBO’sHarry PotterTV show is expected to premiere in 2026.
Between the length of the books and the subplots that need to be expanded, eight hours might not be enough to satisfactorily bring theseHarry Potterbooks to life. AsGame of Thrones’earlier seasons prove, 10 episodes offer more than enough time to deliver a compelling adaptation, even of lengthy source material. Those two episodes really do make a difference, so HBO’sHarry Potterremake must adjust its runtime after its first couple of seasons.
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.
