HBO has renewed its forthcoming television adaptation of Harry Potter for a second season months before the first instalment is due to premiere. The network confirmed on Thursday that the second season will begin filming in autumn 2026, ahead of the planned Christmas premiere of season one on HBO Max.
HBO has previously said it intends to adapt all seven of J K Rowling’s novels across a decade-long run, with one book forming the basis of each season. This would make Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the likely focus of the second instalment.
Writer Jon Brown, who worked on the first season, has been elevated to co-showrunner alongside Francesca Gardiner. The pair previously collaborated on Succession. Gardiner said the decision reflected the demands of overlapping production schedules as the studio attempts to avoid lengthy breaks between seasons.
“As we have laid out our plans for the overlapping production schedules to finish season one by Christmas and to return to production for season two this autumn, it has become clear that bringing on a co-showrunner is the key to maintaining our momentum,” Gardiner said. “I’ve loved working with Jon from the very first day we met on Succession through to these recent times together on Harry Potter. Not only do I have huge admiration for his writing, but he’s also a brilliant collaborator and a lovely person. We are lucky to have him.”
Brown said in a separate statement that he was “incredibly excited” to continue working on the adaptation. “It has been a joy to write on Philosopher’s Stone and I’d like to thank Francesca and HBO for putting their faith in me to continue this remarkable journey,” he said. “Seems you’re never too old to get your invitation to Hogwarts.”
In November 2025, HBO chairman and chief executive Casey Bloys had said that work on the second season had already begun even as the first continued filming. “There’ll be a break in there, but we’re going to do whatever we can to not have a huge gap,” Bloys said at the time. “For the kids, obviously, but also for viewers, trying to not have massive gaps.”
The series has come under fire for several reasons, including continued backlash over author J.K. Rowling’s views on gender. Production on the first eight-episode season, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, began in July 2025 and is expected to wrap within weeks. The adaptation stars Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The three actors were selected following an open casting process that saw more than 30,000 children. All three are reportedly being paid £500,000 for the first season, with a source recently telling The Sun that they are “on track to be multi-millionaires before they turn 18.”
Also part of the cast are John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as gamekeeper and confidante Rubeus Hagrid, and Paapa Essiedu as potions teacher and Harry’s longtime foe Professor Snape. Last month, the first trailer for the highly anticipated show was released, offering a glimpse of Harry’s journey from living under the stairs to discovering a new world as the Boy Who Lived. The two-minute clip became the most-watched HBO trailer in history, racking up more than 277 million organic views across platforms in its first 48 hours online.
“There is nothing special about Harry Potter – at least that’s what his Aunt Petunia always says. On his 11th birthday, a letter of admittance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry opens up a hidden world for Harry: one of fun, friendship and magic. But with this new adventure comes great risk as Harry is forced to face a dangerous enemy from his past,” reads an official season one logline.
