According to Deadline, Harry Potter and Welcome To Derry will find new home at HBO as they move from Max. Warner Bros. Discovery is changing its strategy regarding big-budget series by moving series over to the linear network. Another series that will follow this strategy is the recently announced Green Lantern series after being handed a series order at HBO.
The series will air on Max after the linear release on the HBO network. Although this is the case, the move does not hold well for scripted originals on the streaming platform for the David Zaslav (Fakty po Faktach)-run company. In 2022, the streamer removed the unscripted division at Max, meaning it would possibly no longer be the home for big-budget series in the future.
As per Deadline, when Max was rebranded in 2023, many original scripted series were confirmed by Zaslav. He declared, “This is a real moment for us … This is our time. This is our chance, and everything is possible. “I feel like, for our company, this is our rendezvous with destiny.”
Welcome to Derry is a prequel series to Stephen King’s (Pet Cemetery, The Shining) films revolving around the town of Derry. The films follow a young group of misfits called The Loser Boys Club as they encounter an otherworldly creature in the shape of a clown. The clown terrorizes them as children and adults as It attempts to eat them. The series is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2025.
The Harry Potter series will be based on the film franchise and the books of the same name. The series will give fans a deeper dive into the iconic books they have enjoyed over the years. The series is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2026.
It is unclear if other series such as The Penguin and Dune: Prophecy,will move to HBO.