Although unconfirmed and denied by Warner Bros. at this point, Variety, a highly respected trade in Hollywood, says its sources have learned that a show set within the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is in the early stages of development. But since there is so little information about this maybe-show out there, we can start speculating as to what it should and could be about. Let’s dive in, Revelio!

The Formation of Hogwarts

This is the most obvious one but it’s also the most interesting at face value. The Hogwarts Castle was built during the Middle-Ages by four founding wizards, each with their own ideologies and beliefs. These would become the cornerstones for the four houses of Hogwarts, each named after one of the founders. I’m sure you can name them at this point. It would be very interesting to see just how the castle was constructed, how the four founders collaborated and argued amongst themselves, resulting in Salazar Slytherin abandoning the other three members when they rejected his proposal that the school should be limited only to “pure-blood families”. While smaller in scope, this would be a wholly unique story and setting and would be a prequel series that’s separated by the two film franchises by centuries.

The ‘Legacy’ Era

Hogwarts Legacy is an upcoming open-world RPG set within the Wizarding World. Set in the 1800s, it’s uncharted territory for the franchise, giving it an even more open canvas than the formation of the school. Little is known about the game at this point, but the original setting and likely new villains could be expanded upon within a television series.

The Cursed Child

On one hand, The Cursed Child would see the return of the original cast of actors to the roles that made them icons, as they’ve all aged up a bit that we could likely buy them as grown adults and parents at this point. On the other hand, The Cursed Child’s story, which is the basis for the hit play, hasn’t gone over well with fans, with many citing that it felt like poorly constructed fan-fiction. That said, since there is no official novelization (you can buy the script) and not everyone has seen the production, it wouldn’t be so surprising to learn the studio would seek to adapt the play,  which was largely written by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany with minimal involvement from J.K. Rowling, a person the studio may want to keep out of the creative and promotional portions of their most lucrative franchise.

A Remake of the Books

The Harry Potter films are beloved by many, but due to the nature of the limited run time, had to cut a lot of material out of the narrative. Many interesting subplots, revelations and world-building were absent from the films, which could be reintroduced to fans on the small screen if they chose to adapt the books Game of Thrones– style, opting to cover one book per season. This would certainly be interesting, but I don’t see WB paying money to retell the story of their most lucrative franchise. Likewise, the books only get bigger as they go on, meaning season length and potentially quality could be compromised.

The First Wizarding War

Mentioned extensively in the books and the movies, the First Wizarding War lasted for the better part of ten years and saw Lord Voldemort rise to power for the first time and unleashing a campaign of terror. This would be the darkness possible story to tell, which may not be the best way to win over possible new fans, but this era is rife with conflict, betrayal and plenty of character revelations. In terms of storytelling, this is the best playground to explore, as we’ll see Lily and James Potter in action, how Voldermort amassed his followers and the formation of the Order of the Phoenix, just to name a few things. These names are things that Potterheads know and love, so the studio could bank on familiarity and brand loyalty to sell this show, despite the less jovial and magical plot.

The Marauders

Instead of opting to retell the original books over seven seasons, HBO Max could play a different card: follow the exploits of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew during their seven-year tenure at Hogwarts. The four boys, better known as the Marauders (as in the Marauders Map), have a ton of content worth exploring and it would allow us to reexplore the castle in an academic setting while not retreading old ground. They’re’ also a group of troublemakers and rule breakers, which would give the show a much lighter and mischievous tone. We only know bits and pieces about their youth, but to follow a group of actors grow up over the years like the movies while telling new stories would likely have the most impact, as it will remind us of the movies without actually being the movies. This setting allows us to witness them turning into Animageus illegally, making the coveted map, their feud with Severus Snape and James’ relationship with Lily. Of all the possible stories, as familiar as it could be, this is the one that I’d like to see made the most.

Those are our guesses for what the supposed Wizarding World show could be about on HBO Max, but we want to hear from you as well. Let us know what you’d like to see happen in the proposed Wizarding World tv show!