Exclusive: Hogwarts Legacy Show In The Works
Our sources have reached out to let us know HBO Max is developing a series based on the game Hogwarts Legacy.
If you were thinking any of the controversies that never seem to stop swirling around JK Rowling would end the Harry Potter franchise, think again. Our trusted and proven sources tell us a Hogwarts Legacy series is in development at HBO Max. The news arrives as the hit game unsurprisingly faces a wealth of criticism, not only for the connection to Rowling but for content some interpret as antisemitic.
For those who are somehow still unaware, Hogwarts Legacy is an action RPG that was released on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, and PC earlier in February. The player takes the role of a student new to the titular school of magic where they — like Daniel Radcliffe’s signature character — learn how to brew potions, how to cast spells, and how to use sorcery to fight the forces of evil. Along the way, the hero is pulled into a larger adventure, including a Goblin rebellion and a quest to reveal the secrets of ancient magic.
Part of what has rendered Hogwarts Legacy so popular is that, unlike Harry Potter, players of the game have the opportunity to be a part of Houses other than Potter’s Gryffindor, allowing fans of the franchise to see things from different points of view. Players are also treated to an open world, allowing them to explore Hogwarts, the nearby Hogsmeade, and more.
Since the underperformance of last year’s Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, there’s been speculation that Warner Bros. Discovery might be giving up both on that spinoff film series and perhaps the franchise as a whole. Developing Hogwarts Legacy for the screen might be the studio’s way of seeing whether or not they can keep the franchise relevant on another platform.
The series is still in the early phases of development, so few details are available. Presumably, like the game, the Hogwarts Legacy series will be set before either the original Harry Potter novels and even before the Fantastic Beasts spinoffs. The game takes place in the 19th century, though there are some semi-familiar names such as Professor Matilda Weasley, an ancestor of the novels’ heroic Weasley family.
Along with JK Rowling’s transphobic statements and stances in the past, Hogwarts Legacy has come under fire for what some see as a continued thread of antisemitism. One of the hero’s goals is to put down a rebellion from the Goblins, and the bank-managing Goblins had already been seen by many as a race based on antisemitic stereotypes. As The Gamer explains, to some critics, putting them in a position in which they are an oppressed race being further persecuted by the game hero was one dark bridge too far.
While it’s far too early to make any statements about the cast, we wouldn’t necessarily dismiss the notion of Harry Potter alums showing up in the Hogwarts Legacy series. Some stars, like Rupert Grint, have expressed interest in returning to the franchise.
