Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2010), Warner Bros. Pictures

One of the newly announced writers for Max’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series Andy Greenwald claimed that he did not like the idea of a rigorous adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s books despite admitting that it would be successful. Furthermore, he admitted to not even finishing reading all of the books.

Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart and Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Warner Bros. Pictures

Greenwald was announced as one of the writers on the show on the Writers Guild of America website.

His previous credits include being the showrunner of Briarpatch and working on FX’s Legion.

Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2010), Warner Bros. Pictures

READ: Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Reveals Harry Potter TV Series To Arrive On Max In 2026

On his podcast, The Watch, back in February, Greenwald was asked if  it would be possible to directly adapt Rowling’s Harry Potter novels to television. He initially bluntly responded, “Yes.”

He then explained just how popular the novels and franchise are, “These are really, really rich and they are very long books especially later in the series. People adore them. And successive generations are discovering them and loving them every day. … The stores are packed everywhere they are in the country and around the world. People are buying the chocolate frogs and the hats and the owls, all of it. You can monetize almost every single aspect of it. And they kind of have.”

Next, he stated, “So the idea of an incredibly rigorous text-to-screen adaptation is, I think, probably a safe bet to be a success.”

Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), Warner Bros. Pictures

However, he then shared his thoughts on this, “If something is trumpeting its absolute rock[steady] faithfulness, I think the pleasures that can be derived from that are probably not going to be for me because I didn’t read all the books. I read them to my older daughter until she could read them for herself and then she dusted me.”

“And I think maybe there’s some other creative possibilities within this world, but J.K. Rowling controls all of it and is not going to let anyone else come play with her toys. And that’s her right and is obviously very profitable for her. So that’s what we get.”

Ralph Fienes as Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Warner Bros. Pictures

Greenwald’s comments are just another red flag for this series. Maybe the biggest one was a recent casting call for the three main characters: Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

The casting call, which was published to the official Harry Potter website, Wizarding World, noted the production team was “committed to inclusive, diverse casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to ethnicity, sex, disability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis protected by law unless otherwise specifically indicated.”

An image for the UK Open Casting Call for HBO’s Harry Potter series

The casting call is not surprising in modern Hollywood as nearly all major Hollywood production companies have publicly stated quotas in regards to its hiring practices whether that be for actors, writers, or crew.

Even J.K. Rowling defended the decision to cast actress Noma Dumezweni to play a race-swapped Hermione in the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Rowling defended the decision telling The Guardian, “With my experience of social media, I thought that idiots were going to idiot. But what can you say? That’s the way the world is. Noma was chosen because she was the best actress for the job. When John told me he’d cast her, I said, ‘Oh, that’s fabulous’ because I’d seen her in a workshop and she was fabulous.”

Emma Watson in Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts via HBO Max, YouTube

Nevertheless, Rowling and Max executives have claimed the series will “be authentic to the original books.”

When the show was initially announced Warner Bros. Discovery announced, “The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.  The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years.”

“Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally,” it explained.

 

Rowling added at the time, “Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series.”

HBO and Max Content Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys added, “We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way.”

He added, “Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”

Author J.K. Rowling reads from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at the Easter Egg Roll at White House. Screenshot taken from official White House video. Photo Credit: Executive Office of the President, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The show is expected to arrive on Max sometime in 2026. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav shared during the company’s Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings Call in February, “We’ve not been shy about our excitement around Harry Potter. The last film was made more than a dozen years ago. I was in London a few weeks ago with Casey and Channing, and we spent some real time with JK and her team. Both sides are thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”

He added, “We can’t wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max. We’re aiming for a debut in 2026.”

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2010), Warner Bros. Pictures

What do you make of Greenwald being tapped as one of the writers for the Harry Potter series?