Harry Potter Is Switching Genres In 2027

Published Sep 4, 2026, 4:45 PM EDT Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. The world of Harry Potter is coming back in late 2026, and for its 2027 return, it will switch genres. The trend of reboots and revivals is still strong, and while there’s certainly some exhaustion around it, it has also allowed beloved franchises to return, especially fantasy ones. Percy Jackson and The Lord of the Rings are some notable examples, and joining them on Christmas Day 2026 will be the Harry Potter franchise, which is coming back but now as a TV show. After the failure of the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, the Wizarding World is going back to basics with a new adaptation of the Harry Potter book series. The plan for the TV show is for production to span a decade in hopes of making faithful adaptations of the books, with season 1 adapting the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Season 1 is set for a December 25, 2026, release on HBO and HBO Max globally, and the future of the show is already confirmed. Way ahead of the release of season 1, the Harry Potter TV show was renewed for a second season, which will bring Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to life. Production of Harry Potter season 2 is said to begin in the fall of 2026 (so very, very soon), with more casting announcements already being made. The most exciting part of all this, however, is how the Harry Potter TV show will be switching genres in season 2 thanks to its source material. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Is Darker Than The First Book As an adaptation of the first book in the series, Harry Potter season 1 will cover how Harry (Dominic McLaughlin) learns about his backstory and being a wizard, his arrival at Hogwarts, how he met Ron Weasley (Alastair Stout) and Hermione Granger (Arabella Stanton), and his first encounter with magical creatures and other dangers. The Harry Potter TV show will also show parts of Harry’s life with the Dursleys, staying true to the source material and thus being an origin story. By the time season 2 arrives with Chamber of the Secrets, the Harry Potter TV show will already have its main characters well established, as well as Harry’s main goal and purpose. Thanks to this, Harry Potter season 2 will move away from the style of an origin story and will go darker, as the second novel is grittier and more serious than the first one, in large part because it explores key parts of Lord Voldemort’s backstory. At the time of writing, Lord Voldemort hasn’t been cast yet – however, his younger self, Tom Riddle, will be played by Billy Barratt. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will be the show’s first approach to Horcruxes, Voldemort’s history, and some of the darkest secrets of Hogwarts, along with the dangers that students can face in the castle and its surroundings. This will inevitably make the Harry Potter TV show switch genres into drama and become more like dark fantasy, and it’s to be seen how the show will handle certain scenes. This Won’t Be The Only Time Harry Potter Will Change Genres Image via MovieStillsDB Season 2 of Harry Potter is only the beginning, as it won’t be the only time the show will change genres. The story of Harry Potter and his years-long battle against Lord Voldemort gets increasingly darker as the characters grow and Voldemort regains power, reunites his loyal followers, and sets his destructive plans into motion. It’s not only that Voldemort causes fear in the wizarding world, but also that his actions lead to some heartbreaking deaths. The stories and personal journeys of the main characters also get more complex as they grow up, so it will be inevitable for the show to switch genres in almost every season. The same happened with the Harry Potter movies, so this isn’t a “change” that should surprise fans of the books and movies, but it’s to be seen how the show handles certain scenes, moments, and reveals in future seasons (that, of course, hoping the show will continue to get renewed until the very end). Release Date 2026 - 2026 Showrunner Francisca Gardiner Directors Mark Mylod Cast Dominic McLaughlin Harry Potter Janet McTeer Minerva McGonagall