Harry Potter TV show to start filming in summer

Production of the new HBO TV series of Harry Potter will begin in summer 2025 at a UK studio, it has been announced.

The programme will be filmed at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, which is where the eight Harry Potter movies were also shot.

Warner Bros' streaming service Max said the new, decade-long series would be "a faithful adaptation of the iconic books" by author JK Rowling.

It will feature a brand new cast, with 32,000 children having auditioned for the lead roles following an open casting call in September, according to HBO.

On Thursday, Max posted to X: "Wands at the ready.

"The upcoming HBO Original Series, #HarryPotter, will be filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden with production beginning in Summer 2025 and coming to Max."

Warner Bros is the production company behind the original films, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

Grint, who was 12, applied for the role after seeing a Newsround report about the open casting.

This time the TV casting call stipulated that applicants must be residents of the UK or Ireland aged between nine and 11 by April 2025.

HBO said the casting team had been reviewing up to 1,000 tapes per day after thousands of children applied.

The TV series was announced in 2023, with Max saying at the time that it would "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 25 years".

It is expected that there will be seven series of the show, each season adapting one of the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling.

"Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world," added Max.

Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod, who both worked on acclaimed drama Succession, were confirmed as executive producers of the series earlier in the year.

The cast of beloved characters including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger - played by Radcliffe, Grint and Watson, respectively - will be announced at a later date.