How HBO’s Harry Potter Show Will Handle Actors’ Growth Between Seasons Addressed By Exec

HBO executive Casey Bloys addresses how the network’s upcoming Harry Potter adaptation will deal with the actors’ growth between the seasons. The show will mark the second screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s beloved series of children’s fantasy novels. The original movie franchise released eight films between 2001 and 2011 and grossed more than $7.7 billion worldwide. In 2021, it was reported that HBO is developing a live-action Harry Potter TV show. It is expected to cover one season per book and could arrive as early as 2026.

During a recent press conference (via TVLine), Bloys addressed a big concern that comes with young adult television adaptations: young actors growing up. Though the characters are typically only one year older between books, production schedules could result in longer gaps, making the actors much older than the people they’re playing. Bloys confirmed this is something that is on the minds of the creative team. Check out Bloys’ comments on the situation below:

It is something we’re thinking about. One of the ideas we talked about was
shooting the first season and the second season very close to each other
time-wise, because 11 to 13 is a big jump in kids’ lives. You can get away with 13 to 15, something like that. So we’re going to have to think about scheduling and shooting so that they don’t grow too much between seasons. It is a consideration.

HBO’s Plan Suggests They Are Dedicated To Making The Best Possible Show

As the brand is so beloved and influential, it is important to ensure that a Harry Potter TV show is as accurate and true to the source material as possible. One of the big problems TV shows face is that there can sometimes be several years between seasons, which can mean that child actors can look significantly older from one season to the next. This was an issue encountered by shows like Stranger Things. It is impossible to know which of the actors might have drastic growth spurts between seasons.

Bloys’ comments are positive because they show the network has considered this, and is already taking steps to plan for it. Filming Harry Potter seasons 1 and 2 pretty much back-to-back is a great approach to take, as this will capture the young age of the actors and match them with the characters. Later novels in the series are more adult, and the show would be able to get away with slightly older actors at that point. However, protecting the essence of the early years at Hogwarts is going to be essential for the show.

Our Take On Whether The Harry Potter Show Can Combat Aging

A Smart Shooting Schedule Will Help Considerably

HBO has made a 10-year commitment to the series. It’s unclear if the show will be on the air for this long, but there is a chance it could go on for longer. I believe the network will look to shoot the first three seasons pretty close together, and then there could be a gap of a few years before season 4. This would fit in with the 10-year time frame, and would also mirror the book releases. Most of all, this would help the shooting schedule to accommodate the aging and maturity of the cast during the Harry Potter TV adaptation.

Source: TVLine