Aubrey Plaza in ‘The White Lotus’ season 2. Photo: Fabio Lovino/HBO.
The actual plotline for the season remains unknown for now, but if past seasons are anything to go by, it’ll once more see the clientele of a White Lotus resort (this time with Château de La Messardière in Saint-Tropez, France rumored as a main location) dealing with issues of wealth, privilege, dysfunction and, of course, probably a death or two.
Walton Goggins in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3. Photo: Fabio Lovino/HBO.
(L to R) David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in ‘The X-Files’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
‘The X-Files’, originally created by Chris Carter, aired on Fox from 1993-2001 before being revived at the network for two more seasons in 2016 and 2018. It starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigate cases that lean towards the paranormal and otherwise unusual.
Two movies were made based on the original show, but there’s no word yet on whether either Duchovny or Anderson will appear in any capacity. As for the new potential series’ logline? “Two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”
Deadwyler and Patel will be playing a new original characters –– we’re assuming at this point they’ll be the main agents.
Coogler is aboard to write and direct the pilot, but should the show go to series, ‘The Copenhagen Test’s Jennifer Yale will be overseeing it.
Coogler, an avowed fan of the supernatural, has spoken previously to Variety about his feelings for the show:
“Like my relationship with ‘Rocky’ with my dad, ‘The X-Files’ is one of those things with my mom. My mom means the world to me…so this is a big one for me. I want to do right by her and the fans. My mom has read some of the stuff I wrote for it. She’s fired up.”
Dominic McLaughlin in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.
Preview:
The first official look at the new ‘Harry Potter’ series is online.
Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout are Harry, Ron and Hermione.
‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ will arrive at Christmas.
With the show having been in development for a while now, HBO has taken the UK launch of its streaming service to offer up the first images from the ‘Harry Potter’ TV series, which not-so-shockingly is calling its first season ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, including looks at the likes of three leads Harry, Ron and Hermione, played by Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout.
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The cast also includes Nick Frost (Hagrid), John Lithgow (Dumbledore), Janet McTeer (McGonagall), Paapa Essiedu (Snape) and Warwick Davis (who is the one carryover from the movie cast, to play Professor Flitwick). And the first teaser has also arrived –– find that at the bottom of the page.
John Lithgow in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Lara Cornell/HBO.
From the sounds of it, the show won’t venture too far from the books, just taking the expanded running time a TV series allows to adapt more from them.
Here’s the official logline: “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…”
When will the ‘Harry Potter’ TV series be on screens?
Nick Frost in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.
HBO Max has confirmed a Christmas 2026 release for this initial season.
(L to R) Alastair Stout, Dominic McLaughlin and Arabella Stanton in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise:
Hogwarts Express in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.Paapa Essiedu in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Lara Cornell/HBO.Janet McTeer in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Lara Cornell/HBO.Lox Pratt in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Lara Cornell/HBO.(L to R) Daniel Rigby and Bel Powley in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.Amos Kitson in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.Dominic McLaughlin in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.Arabella Stanton in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.Alastair Stout in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.Dominic McLaughlin in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.
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Helena Bonham Carter and Kumail Nanjiani are among the ‘White Lotus’ Season 4 cast.
Chris Messina, Max Greenfield and more will also show up.
The new series will be set at a French resort.
From the start, creator/showrunner Mike White has been able to command an eclectic, often starry cast for HBO series ‘The White Lotus,’ which spins a murder mystery each season at a different resort from the titular fictional chain.
Michelle Monaghan in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3. Photo: Fabio Lovino/HBO.
The actual plotline for the season remains a mystery for now, but if past seasons are anything to go by, it’ll once more see the clientele of a White Lotus resort (this time reportedly in France) rocked by a suspicious death or two.
With White writing and directing as always, the season will be shooting this year.
(L to R) Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3. Photo: Fabio Lovino/HBO.
Emilia Clarke in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.’ Photo: HBO.
Preview:
The ‘Game of Thrones’ movie is reportedly moving forward at Warner Bros.
‘House of Cards’ and ‘Andor’ writer Beau Willimon is at work on a script.
The movie may be impacted by Paramount buying Warners.
Back before ‘Game of Thrones’ wrapped up its small screen run, there was talk that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss wanted to end the story with three movies in cinemas, a prospect that HBO bosses shot down.
But the idea of a ‘GOT’ movie didn’t go away, and in late 2024 chatter began about new development. Things have been quiet since then as Warner Bros. focused instead on prequel series ‘House of the Dragon’ and the recent launch of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’, though news has now arrived of someone actually developing a film.
What’s the potential story for a ‘Game of Thrones’ movie?
HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.’ Photo: HBO.
Both Page Six and a recent Hollywood Reporter profile of ‘Thrones’ novelist George R.R. Martin have pointed to a focus on Aegon I, who birthed the dragon-happy Targaryen dynasty and united six of the seven kingdoms through bloody conquest about 300 years before the original series (the iconic Iron Throne is forged from swords captured from those his armies defeated in battle).
It’s certainly fertile territory for ‘Thrones’ to explore, and indeed it appears HBO is also looking at a TV take on the idea.
Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda are running the show.
This summer’s ‘Superman’ was not just a hit at the box office and a successful jumping-off point for James Gunn’s fledgling reboot of the DC universe on screens, it also saw fans embracing several characters.
Now, per The Hollywood Reporter, one of the most popular is getting his own TV spin-off show. Sorry, Krypto fans… it’s Jimmy Olsen.
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Yes, the photographer reporter buddy to Clark Kent (David Corenswet) and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), as played in the movie by Skyler Gisondo, will be heading up his own show, currently without a title.
The concept centers on Olsen, as well as other Daily Planet reporters (minus Lois and Clark who are unlikely to appear beyond possible cameos), who tackle cases involving super-powered villains.
Gorilla Grodd will be in the spotlight for the first season.
In case you don’t know your DC lore, Grodd is a super-intelligent evil ape who rules a secret African city named Gorilla City. The character is a key antagonist for the Flash, and first appeared in an issue of the Scarlet Speedster’s comics back in 1959. He was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino.
Could this be a stealthy way of introducing DC Studios’ take on the speedster? Anything’s possible, though we won’t hold our breath just yet.
As for the tone, the new show sees Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda, who created the award-winning Netflix mockumentary ‘American Vandal,’ overseeing, so we’re predicting a comical mock-doc format.
What other DC TV series are in the works?
(L to R) Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in ‘Lanterns’. Photo: John P. Johnson/HBO.
Probably the highest profile of the series right now is ‘Lanterns’, which has been shot and is due to debut on HBO next year. It stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as two of the Green Lantern Corps, humans given powerful rings that can manipulate energy.
The show is planned as a gritty, mostly Earth-based thriller series and will see ‘Superman’s Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) show up.
And more recently, we learned that another DC comics title (albeit not one set within the ‘Superman’ universe), ‘V for Vendetta’ is in the early stages of a possible TV series, following the 2006 movie adaptation.
When will the Jimmy Olsen show be on screens?
There is no word yet on when this one might arrive, but don’t expect it much before some point in 2027. Meanwhile, hope burns eternal for the ‘Eagly & Krypto: Animal Trouble’ show we keep watching (in our heads).
(L to R) David Corenswet and Krypto in ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
Hugo Weaving in Warner Bros.’ ‘V for Vendetta’ (2006).
Preview:
A ‘V for Vendetta’ TV series is in the works at HBO.
It’ll adapt the Alan Moore comic book series, which became a film in 2006.
Pete Jackson is writing the show.
Given the perilous political climate we’re experiencing right now, it seems somehow fitting that ‘V for Vendetta’ –– a story of the fight back against a fascistic regime –– is getting another shot at screens.
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Variety reports that HBO and DC Studios are developing a new series based on the Alan Moore comics series from the 1980s, though nothing is official just yet.
DC and HBO did not comment for the trade magazine’s story, and at time of writing, we’ve yet to hear DC Studios boss James Gunn weigh in on whether this is truly happening. So, pinch of salt at the ready!
(L to R): Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving in Warner Bros.’ ‘V for Vendetta’ (2006).
‘V for Vendetta’ began life as a comic serial written by Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. It debuted in 1982 in the British anthology “Warrior,” with DC taking over publishing it in 1988.
The story is set in Britain in a dystopian, not-too-distant future in which the country is controlled by the fascistic Norsefire party.
An anarchist named V, known for his distinctive Guy Fawkes mask, seeks to topple the government with the help of Evey Hammond, a young woman V rescued from the country’s secret police.
Warner Bros. produced a 2006 movie adaptation starring Hugo Weaving playing V (and in some scenes, dubbing his voice over the performance of James Purefoy, who was originally cast) and Natalie Portman as Evey.
Who is working on the potential new ‘V for Vendetta’ series?
Hugo Weaving in Warner Bros.’ ‘V for Vendetta’ (2006).
Reportedly cranking out the script is Pete Jackson –– no, not the New Zealand based filmmaker famous for the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies, instead the UK showrunner responsible for the series ‘Somewhere Boy,’ which aired in 2022.
Bill Skarsgård in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
Arriving on HBO Max on October 22 with its first episode is ‘IT: Welcome to Derry,’ which turns the clock back to 1962 so as to explore more of the dark history of the titular town and the equally titular presence, who feeds on fear and terrorizes the locals.
(L to R): Mikkal Karim-Fidler, Clara Stack and Jack Molloy Legault in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
While prequels have been around for years, it feels like we’ve been besieged by them in recent years, especially as studios and TV networks seek to find new ways to explore established franchises.
It’s a tough tightrope to walk –– audiences can tire of learning too much about certain characters (‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ is an example), while lazy storytelling can creep in. But refreshingly, ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ is a worthwhile addition to the canon of a story that began with Stephen King’s 1986 novel and has been most famously adapted into two big screen outings.
Script and Direction
Chris Chalk in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
‘Welcome to Derry’, thanks to the presence of some of the filmmaking team, faithfully connects to the movies without too many overt references. The show’s plotline and characters are smartly drawn, offering layered approaches to a variety of stories, not the least of which is Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo as Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon, the latter of whom links the townsfolk with the nearby army base and the military’s attempts to learn more about its dark secret.
Andy Muschietti, who directed both the more recent movies, gives the show its own signature blend of everyday life and gory, bone-chilling scares.
Cast and Performances
Taylour Paige in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
It’s kudos to both the creators and the rest of the cast that the series doesn’t lean on Skarsgård’s creep-tastic Pennywise to generate its scares, at least not in his actual clown form. Paige and Adepo are both great, but the real winners are among the younger cast (including Amanda Christine and Clara Stack, who offer naturalistic work in the face of some truly terrifying set pieces.
Final Thoughts
Blake Cameron James in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
‘Welcome to Derry’ proves to be that rare prequel that works to enhance what has gone before, and finds interesting angles to peek into beyond even Stephen King’s source work.
Kicking off just before Halloween, it’s ideal creepy viewing for a fall evening.
‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ receives 82 out of 100.
Kimberly Guerrero in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
What’s the plot of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’?
The show is set in 1962, 27 years before the events of ‘IT: Chapter One’ (which updated the book’s 1957 setting to 1988). The show dives into the lore of Pennywise and the town’s horrific history, drawing heavily from the “interludes” in King’s original novel — the eerie flashbacks and historical tragedies Mike Hanlon researched as an adult.
Warwick Davis with the Hogwarts ‘Harry Potter’ train. Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO.
Preview:
HBO’s Harry Potter series has Warwick Davis returning as Professor Flitwick.
Young actors Elijah Oshin, Finn Stephens and William Nash are also aboard.
The show will be on screens in 2027.
While the vast majority of the HBO ‘Harry Potter’ series is brand new casting, the company used the latest “Back to Hogwarts” showcase (a promo event linked to the return of Hogwarts students to the school) to announced that Warwick Davis, who played Professor Filius Flitwick in the movies, will be back for the show.
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On the new casting front, news arrived that another batch of Hogwarts students and faculty have been added, including Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe, William Nash as Gregory Goyle, Sirine Saba as Professor Pomona Sprout, Richard Durden as Professor Cuthbert Binns, and Bríd Brennan as Madam Poppy Pomfrey.
Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter in ‘Harry Potter’ (TV series). Image courtesy of Aidan Monaghan/HBO.
“The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved ‘Harry Potter’ book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. It will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters ‘Harry Potter’ fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will bring ‘Harry Potter’ and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
From the looks of the new casting, the series aims to replicate a lot about the movies, while also looking to chart its own course.
Who else has been cast in the ‘Harry Potter’ series?
‘Harry Potter’ TV series cast (from left to right): John Lithgow (Credit: Jessica Howes), Janet McTeer (Credit: Andrew Crowley), Paapa Essiedu (Credit: Ruth Crafer), Nick Frost (Credit: Lee Malone), Luke Thallon (Credit: Phil Sharp), Paul Whitehouse (Credit: Mike Marsland).
Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby are playing Petunia and Vernon Dursley, AKA Harry’s aunt and uncle, who begrudgingly take the boy in as a baby following the death of his parents at the hands of Voldemort.
The couple –– who dote on overweight son Dudley (who we now know will be played by Amos Kitson) –– make Harry sleep in a cupboard under the stairs and have no time for the magical world he’ll come to be a key part of.
Katherine Parkinson, meanwhile, has scored the role of Molly Weasley, the caring, offbeat mother of the Weasley clan, who come to see Harry as a member of the family).
Bertie Carvel is on board as Cornelius Fudge, the blustering Minister of Magic.
Lox Pratt will be Draco Malfoy (Harry’s main rival at Hogwarts) and Johnny Flynn is playing Lucius Malfoy, his preening, proud father.
We also know that Leo Earley will be Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni scored the role of Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah is playing Lavender Brown, all three of them students at Hogwarts.
Previously, we learned that John Lithgow would be Albus Dumbledore, alongside Janet McTeer (Professor Minerva McGonagall), Paapa Essiedu (as Severus Snape) and Nick Frost (bringing gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid to screens), and they’ll make up part of the series regular cohort alongside the young newcomers.
Thallon has nabbed the role of Professor Quirinus Quirrell, a key part of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ while Whitehouse is set to play Hogwarts caretaker and grumpy cat owner Argus Filch, who pops up throughout the stories.
When will the ‘Harry Potter’ series be on screens?
With production now under way on the series, HBO has at least confirmed that it will be hitting the streaming service in 2027, though an exact date has yet to be revealed.
(L to R) Robbie Coltrane and Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise:
Now we have the first look at McLaughlin in his Hogwarts robes as the show has now entered production, along with a new set of casting choices.
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Probably the best-known names of the latest ensemble members are Anton Lesser, recently seen in ‘Andor’, who has landed the role of wand shop proprietor Garrick Ollivander, and ‘Such Brave Girls’Louise Brealey, playing Madam Rolanda Hooch, the Hogwarts flying instructor and Quidditch referee.
(L to R) Emma Watson as Hermione Granger,Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ (2011). Photo: Warner Bros.
Here’s the official HBO statement on the show:
“The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved ‘Harry Potter’ book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. It will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters ‘Harry Potter’ fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will bring ‘Harry Potter’ and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
Gardiner scored the job of showrunner after HBO conducted an extensive search for the right writer/producer. Mylod will direct multiple episodes of the series, having worked on the likes of ‘Succession’ and ‘Game of Thrones.’
The show will be shot at Warner Bros.’ Leavesden Studios facility outside London in the UK, where the movies were made.
Who else has been cast in the ‘Harry Potter’ series?
‘Harry Potter’ TV series cast (from left to right): John Lithgow (Credit: Jessica Howes), Janet McTeer (Credit: Andrew Crowley), Paapa Essiedu (Credit: Ruth Crafer), Nick Frost (Credit: Lee Malone), Luke Thallon (Credit: Phil Sharp), Paul Whitehouse (Credit: Mike Marsland).
Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby are playing Petunia and Vernon Dursley, AKA Harry’s aunt and uncle, who begrudgingly take the boy in as a baby following the death of his parents at the hands of Voldemort.
The couple –– who dote on overweight son Dudley (who we now know will be played by Amos Kitson) –– make Harry sleep in a cupboard under the stairs and have no time for the magical world he’ll come to be a key part of.
Katherine Parkinson, meanwhile, has scored the role of Molly Weasley, the caring, offbeat mother of the Weasley clan, who come to see Harry as a member of the family).
Bertie Carvel is on board as Cornelius Fudge, the blustering Minister of Magic.
Lox Pratt will be Draco Malfoy (Harry’s main rival at Hogwarts) and Johnny Flynn is playing Lucius Malfoy, his preening, proud father.
We also know that Leo Earley will be Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni scored the role of Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah is playing Lavender Brown, all three of them students at Hogwarts.
Previously, we learned that John Lithgow would be Albus Dumbledore, alongside Janet McTeer (Professor Minerva McGonagall), Paapa Essiedu (as Severus Snape) and Nick Frost (bringing gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid to screens), and they’ll make up part of the series regular cohort alongside the young newcomers.
Thallon has nabbed the role of Professor Quirinus Quirrell, a key part of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ while Whitehouse is set to play Hogwarts caretaker and grumpy cat owner Argus Filch, who pops up throughout the stories.
What about the J.K. Rowling issue?
(L to R) Emma Watson and J. K. Rowling at the premiere of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
‘Potter’ creator and original novelist J.K. Rowling is a big consideration here, since A) she has final say on anything adapted from the books and B) is a problematic figure given her negative views on trans people.
This was HBO’s recent statement on the issue:
“Warner Bros. has been working with J.K. Rowling and in the ‘Harry Potter’ business for over 20 years. Her contribution has been invaluable. We are proud to once again tell the story of ‘Harry Potter’ — the heartwarming books that speak to power of friendship, resolve and acceptance. J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
“J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings. It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being. The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting, it’s appalling. I mean, I can understand a viewpoint that might be angry at what she says about women. But it’s not some obscene, über-right-wing fascist. It’s just a woman saying, ‘I’m a woman and I feel I’m a woman and I want to be able to say that I’m a woman.’ And I understand where she’s coming from. Even though I’m not a woman.”
When will the ‘Harry Potter’ series be on screens?
With production now under way on the series, HBO Max has at least confirmed that it will be hitting the streaming service in 2027, though an exact date has yet to be revealed.
Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter in ‘Harry Potter’ (TV series). Image courtesy of Aidan Monaghan/HBO.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise:
