Wands at the ready! Although we're yet to see the first season of HBO's Harry Potter TV show, the studio has already renewed the series for season 2.
HBO has officially greenlit a second season of its Harry Potter show (H/T Variety), which will start filming this Autumn 2026. The news comes over seven months before the first season is due to premiere this Christmas.
The second season will adapt the second Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which follows Harry's return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after summer break. But the students get more than they bargained for when they start their second year, only to find that the Heir of Salazar Slytherin opens the Chamber of Secrets, unleashing a terrifying monster onto the school.
The second book, which was adapted into a movie in 2002, serves as a sequel to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which serves as inspiration for HBO's first season. The series will follow the same chronological order as both the book and film series, which kicks off with Potter receiving his acceptance letter to Hogwarts, where he meets new friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
HBO already moving forward with the second season is great news, as fans were initially worried about the show's seven-season plan. The company is taking on the monumental task of adapting all seven books into seven seasons over the course of 10 years. Fans were worried about the actors aging out of their roles before the series ended, after HBO chief Casey Bloys said they would not release one season per year. However, filming is able to wrap early 2027, we could possibly see season 2 around a year after season 1. The only obstacle is that season 1 is not yet out of production.
To speed up the process, season 2 will be led by two showrunners rather than one. Harry Potter season 1's current lead, Francesca Gardiner, will serve as co-showrunner on season 2 alongside season 1 writer Jon Brown. In a statement, Gardiner said, "As we have laid out our plans for the overlapping production schedules to finish Season 1 by Christmas and to return to production for Season 2 this autumn, it has become clear that bringing on a co-showrunner is the key to maintaining our momentum."
Harry Potter season 1 will hit HBO and HBO Max on December 25. Harry Potter season 2 does not yet have a release date. In the meantime, keep up to date with our guide to all the most exciting upcoming TV shows.
