J.K. Rowling's "Secret" New Series Officially Confirms Release Date

Cover Images/INSTARimages.com Published Nov 4, 2026, 5:57 PM EST Chris is a Senior News Writer for Collider. He can be found in an IMAX screen, with his eyes watering and his ears bleeding for his own pleasure. He joined the news team in 2022 and accidentally fell upwards into a senior position despite his best efforts. For reasons unknown, he enjoys analyzing box office receipts, giant sharks, and has become known as the go-to man for all things Bosch, Mission: Impossible and Christopher Nolan in Collider's news division. Recently, he found himself yeehawing along to the Dutton saga on the Yellowstone Ranch. He is proficient in sarcasm, wit, Photoshop and working unfeasibly long hours. Amongst his passions sit the likes of the history of the Walt Disney Company, the construction of theme parks, steam trains and binge-watching Gilmore Girls with a coffee that is just hot enough to scald him. His obsession with the Apple TV+ series Silo is the subject of mockery within the Senior News channel, where his feelings about Taylor Sheridan's work are enough to make his fellow writers roll their eyes. Sign in to your Collider account There are very few authors who have enjoyed quite as much success as J.K. Rowling, and while the world will forever associate her with Harry Potter, the writer has spent more than a decade quietly building another enormously successful franchise. This time, however, there are no wands, spells, or magical castles to be found, just a grizzled private detective, and his partner. The BBC has officially confirmed that Strike will return for its seventh series, titled Strike: The Running Grave, in December 2026. The new five-part mystery will once again star Tom Burke as private detective Cormoran Strike alongside Holliday Grainger as Robin Ellacott, adapting Rowling's seventh novel in the bestselling crime series published under her pseudonym. When Sir Colin and Sally Edensor approach Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, they are desperate to reconnect with their estranged son, Will. The Edensors enlist the detectives to gather evidence to discredit the Universal Humanitarian Church, a religious cult who have indoctrinated Will and siphoned off his trust fund. Rowling originally published the Cormoran Strike novels under the pen name Robert Galbraith for the release of The Cuckoo's Calling, hoping to establish a new writing career without the impossibly high expectations set. However, media investigations quickly uncovered Rowling's true identity just months after the novel's publication. However, that's done nothing but help the series, which has since become a huge success with eight novels published to date, and a ninth currently in development. Rowling, of course, is also a large part of the creative team behind HBO's upcoming adaptation of Harry Potter. The Sorting Hat - Which Harry Potter House Would You Be In? Exclusive · Personality Quiz THE SORTING HAT — WHICH HARRY POTTER HOUSE WOULD YOU BE IN? The Sorting Hat Sees All Every witch and wizard who passes through the Great Hall is sorted by the qualities they hold most dear. Ten questions stand between you and your true house. Answer honestly — the Hat can tell when you’re lying. 🦁Gryffindor 🐍Slytherin 🦅Ravenclaw 🦡Hufflepuff PLACE THE HAT ON YOUR HEAD → 01You hear a strange noise coming from a forbidden corridor after curfew. What do you do?What calls to you in the dark? AGrab your wand and investigate immediately. Someone could be in trouble. BInvestigate quietly and alone. Knowledge of what’s hidden there could be very useful. CResearch the corridor first. There’s probably a reason it’s forbidden, and you want to know what. DTell a trusted friend and go together. Safety in numbers, and it’s no fun alone. NEXT → 02A professor offers you a rare opportunity, but accepting it means letting down a friend. What do you do?Ambition vs. loyalty — a timeless test. ATurn it down. Your friends come first, always. BTake it. Your friend would do the same, and opportunities like this don’t come twice. CFind a creative solution that lets you do both. There’s always another way if you think hard enough. DTalk to your friend honestly and figure it out together. Communication solves most things. NEXT → 03You find an ancient spellbook with powerful magic — some of it dangerous. How do you handle it?Power, wisdom, caution, or principle? ATurn it in to a professor. Dangerous magic shouldn’t be floating around. BKeep it hidden and study the useful parts. Knowledge is power, and this is a rare find. CRead every page carefully. Understanding dangerous magic is the best defense against it. DShare it with friends you trust. Something this important shouldn’t be one person’s secret. NEXT → 04A classmate is being bullied by someone more powerful. You barely know the victim. What do you do?What moves you to act? AStep in immediately, even if it means making an enemy. It’s the right thing to do. BFind a way to undermine the bully without putting yourself at risk. Be strategic. CReport it to a professor. The system exists for a reason — use it. DBefriend the victim afterwards. What they need most right now is someone in their corner. NEXT → 05Which quality do you most want to be known for?What you value most reveals your deepest nature. ABravery. When things go wrong, I want to be the person who stands up. BResourcefulness. I want to be the person who always finds a way. CWisdom. I want to be the person who truly understands. DKindness. I want to be the person people trust completely. NEXT → 06Your team is losing badly in a high-stakes competition. What’s your move?Pressure reveals character. ARally everyone with a bold speech and lead by example. Momentum is everything. BExploit the other team’s weakness. There’s always a gap if you’re watching closely enough. CPause and rethink the strategy entirely. Doing the same thing harder won’t work — you need a new plan. DFocus on keeping morale up. A team that trusts each other can come back from anything. NEXT → 07You catch a friend cheating on an important exam. What do you do?Rules, relationships, and right and wrong. AConfront them directly. If they’re your real friend, they can handle the truth. BSay nothing. It’s their risk to take, and reporting them gains you nothing. CStruggle with it, but ultimately the integrity of the exam matters. You report it anonymously. DTalk to them privately and offer to help them study instead. They clearly need support. NEXT → 08What do you fear most?Your deepest fear says everything about your deepest values. ABeing a coward when it matters. Failing to act when someone needs me. BBeing ordinary. Living a life where I never reached my full potential. CBeing ignorant. Making decisions based on incomplete understanding. DBeing alone. Losing the people who matter most to me. NEXT → 09Centuries from now, how would you want to be remembered at Hogwarts?The portrait on the wall — what does it say? AAs someone who fought for what was right, no matter the personal cost. BAs someone who achieved greatness and left a lasting mark on the wizarding world. CAs someone who discovered something extraordinary — a truth no one else could see. DAs someone who was truly good — a person who made others’ lives better just by being there. NEXT → 10The Sorting Hat whispers: “I see everything you are and everything you could become. Tell me — what matters to you above all else?”The final question. Answer from your soul. AThe courage to do what’s right, even when I’m terrified. I’d rather be brave for one moment than safe for a lifetime. BThe drive to become who I’m meant to be. I won’t settle, and I won’t apologize for wanting more. CThe pursuit of understanding. The truth is more beautiful and more important than comfort. DThe people I love and the bonds I’ve built. Everything else is just noise without the people beside you. THE HAT HAS DECIDED → THE SORTING HAT HAS SPOKEN YOU BELONG IN… 🦁 “Where dwell the brave at heart, their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart.” You lead with your heart and your gut. When something is wrong, you can’t just stand there — you have to act, even when the odds are terrible and the smart move is to walk away. You’re the person people look to in a crisis, not because you’re fearless, but because you move forward when you’re afraid. Your moral compass is loud, your loyalty is fierce, and your courage can be reckless — but the world needs people like you. Values: Courage, chivalry, determination, standing up for what’s rightWatch out for: Recklessness, a hero complex, and leaping before you lookFamous Gryffindors: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall 🐍 “Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends.” You have a vision for your life, and you’re not going to let politeness or convention stand in the way. You’re strategic, perceptive, and deeply ambitious — not necessarily for power itself, but for the freedom and influence that come with being exceptional. You read rooms, you play the long game, and you don’t waste energy on fights you can’t win. People underestimate your depth at their own risk. Values: Ambition, resourcefulness, determination, self-preservationWatch out for: Isolation, ruthlessness, and mistaking cunning for wisdomFamous Slytherins: Severus Snape, Merlin, Regulus Black, Horace Slughorn 🦅 “Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.” Your mind is your greatest asset, and you know it. You’re drawn to ideas, puzzles, and the kind of deep understanding that most people don’t have the patience for. You question everything — not to be difficult, but because accepting easy answers feels dishonest. You value originality, creativity, and intellectual independence. The library isn’t just a building to you — it’s a sanctuary. Values: Wisdom, creativity, learning, intellectual curiosityWatch out for: Overthinking, detachment, and valuing being right over being kindFamous Ravenclaws: Luna Lovegood, Filius Flitwick, Garrick Ollivander, Cho Chang 🦡 “Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil.” You are the heart of every group you belong to. You don’t need to be the hero of the story — you need the people in the story to be okay. Your loyalty isn’t performative; it’s bone-deep. You show up, you do the work, and you treat people with a decency that the wizarding world desperately needs more of. You’re not soft — you’re strong in the way that actually holds everything together. Values: Loyalty, patience, fairness, hard work, kindnessWatch out for: Being taken for granted, avoiding conflict, and forgetting your own needsFamous Hufflepuffs: Newt Scamander, Nymphadora Tonks, Cedric Diggory, Pomona Sprout ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ The Sorting Hat - Which Harry Potter House Would You Be In? Exclusive · Personality QuizTHE SORTING HAT — WHICH HARRY POTTER HOUSE WOULD YOU BE IN?The Sorting Hat Sees AllEvery witch and wizard who passes through the Great Hall is sorted by the qualities they hold most dear. Ten questions stand between you and your true house. Answer honestly — the Hat can tell when you’re lying. 🦁Gryffindor 🐍Slytherin 🦅Ravenclaw 🦡Hufflepuff PLACE THE HAT ON YOUR HEAD → 01 You hear a strange noise coming from a forbidden corridor after curfew. What do you do?What calls to you in the dark? AGrab your wand and investigate immediately. Someone could be in trouble.BInvestigate quietly and alone. Knowledge of what’s hidden there could be very useful.CResearch the corridor first. There’s probably a reason it’s forbidden, and you want to know what.DTell a trusted friend and go together. Safety in numbers, and it’s no fun alone. NEXT → 02 A professor offers you a rare opportunity, but accepting it means letting down a friend. What do you do?Ambition vs. loyalty — a timeless test. ATurn it down. Your friends come first, always.BTake it. Your friend would do the same, and opportunities like this don’t come twice.CFind a creative solution that lets you do both. There’s always another way if you think hard enough.DTalk to your friend honestly and figure it out together. Communication solves most things. NEXT → 03 You find an ancient spellbook with powerful magic — some of it dangerous. How do you handle it?Power, wisdom, caution, or principle? ATurn it in to a professor. Dangerous magic shouldn’t be floating around.BKeep it hidden and study the useful parts. Knowledge is power, and this is a rare find.CRead every page carefully. Understanding dangerous magic is the best defense against it.DShare it with friends you trust. Something this important shouldn’t be one person’s secret. NEXT → 04 A classmate is being bullied by someone more powerful. You barely know the victim. What do you do?What moves you to act? AStep in immediately, even if it means making an enemy. It’s the right thing to do.BFind a way to undermine the bully without putting yourself at risk. Be strategic.CReport it to a professor. The system exists for a reason — use it.DBefriend the victim afterwards. What they need most right now is someone in their corner. NEXT → 05 Which quality do you most want to be known for?What you value most reveals your deepest nature. ABravery. When things go wrong, I want to be the person who stands up.BResourcefulness. I want to be the person who always finds a way.CWisdom. I want to be the person who truly understands.DKindness. I want to be the person people trust completely. NEXT → 06 Your team is losing badly in a high-stakes competition. What’s your move?Pressure reveals character. ARally everyone with a bold speech and lead by example. Momentum is everything.BExploit the other team’s weakness. There’s always a gap if you’re watching closely enough.CPause and rethink the strategy entirely. Doing the same thing harder won’t work — you need a new plan.DFocus on keeping morale up. A team that trusts each other can come back from anything. NEXT → 07 You catch a friend cheating on an important exam. What do you do?Rules, relationships, and right and wrong. AConfront them directly. If they’re your real friend, they can handle the truth.BSay nothing. It’s their risk to take, and reporting them gains you nothing.CStruggle with it, but ultimately the integrity of the exam matters. You report it anonymously.DTalk to them privately and offer to help them study instead. They clearly need support. NEXT → 08 What do you fear most?Your deepest fear says everything about your deepest values. ABeing a coward when it matters. Failing to act when someone needs me.BBeing ordinary. Living a life where I never reached my full potential.CBeing ignorant. Making decisions based on incomplete understanding.DBeing alone. Losing the people who matter most to me. NEXT → 09 Centuries from now, how would you want to be remembered at Hogwarts?The portrait on the wall — what does it say? AAs someone who fought for what was right, no matter the personal cost.BAs someone who achieved greatness and left a lasting mark on the wizarding world.CAs someone who discovered something extraordinary — a truth no one else could see.DAs someone who was truly good — a person who made others’ lives better just by being there. NEXT → 10 The Sorting Hat whispers: “I see everything you are and everything you could become. Tell me — what matters to you above all else?”The final question. Answer from your soul. AThe courage to do what’s right, even when I’m terrified. I’d rather be brave for one moment than safe for a lifetime.BThe drive to become who I’m meant to be. I won’t settle, and I won’t apologize for wanting more.CThe pursuit of understanding. The truth is more beautiful and more important than comfort.DThe people I love and the bonds I’ve built. Everything else is just noise without the people beside you. THE HAT HAS DECIDED → THE SORTING HAT HAS SPOKENYOU BELONG IN… 🦁 “Where dwell the brave at heart, their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart.” You lead with your heart and your gut. When something is wrong, you can’t just stand there — you have to act, even when the odds are terrible and the smart move is to walk away. You’re the person people look to in a crisis, not because you’re fearless, but because you move forward when you’re afraid. Your moral compass is loud, your loyalty is fierce, and your courage can be reckless — but the world needs people like you. Values: Courage, chivalry, determination, standing up for what’s right Watch out for: Recklessness, a hero complex, and leaping before you look Famous Gryffindors: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall 🐍 “Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends.” You have a vision for your life, and you’re not going to let politeness or convention stand in the way. You’re strategic, perceptive, and deeply ambitious — not necessarily for power itself, but for the freedom and influence that come with being exceptional. You read rooms, you play the long game, and you don’t waste energy on fights you can’t win. People underestimate your depth at their own risk. Values: Ambition, resourcefulness, determination, self-preservation Watch out for: Isolation, ruthlessness, and mistaking cunning for wisdom Famous Slytherins: Severus Snape, Merlin, Regulus Black, Horace Slughorn 🦅 “Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.” Your mind is your greatest asset, and you know it. You’re drawn to ideas, puzzles, and the kind of deep understanding that most people don’t have the patience for. You question everything — not to be difficult, but because accepting easy answers feels dishonest. You value originality, creativity, and intellectual independence. The library isn’t just a building to you — it’s a sanctuary. Values: Wisdom, creativity, learning, intellectual curiosity Watch out for: Overthinking, detachment, and valuing being right over being kind Famous Ravenclaws: Luna Lovegood, Filius Flitwick, Garrick Ollivander, Cho Chang 🦡 “Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil.” You are the heart of every group you belong to. You don’t need to be the hero of the story — you need the people in the story to be okay. Your loyalty isn’t performative; it’s bone-deep. You show up, you do the work, and you treat people with a decency that the wizarding world desperately needs more of. You’re not soft — you’re strong in the way that actually holds everything together. Values: Loyalty, patience, fairness, hard work, kindness Watch out for: Being taken for granted, avoiding conflict, and forgetting your own needs Famous Hufflepuffs: Newt Scamander, Nymphadora Tonks, Cedric Diggory, Pomona Sprout ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ Who's Involved in 'Strike'? The series stars Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) as Cormoran Strike, Grainger (The Capture) as Robin Ellacott, James Fleet (Four Weddings and a Funeral) as Sir Colin Edensor, Nichola McAuliffe (Surgical Spirit) as Shelley Heaton, Keeley Forsyth (Happy Valley) as Mazu Wace, Fabian McCallum (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) as Will Edensor, John Lynch (The Fall) as Jonathan Wace, and Ruth Sheen (Another Year) as Pat. Returning cast members also include Jack Greenlees (The Last Kingdom) as Sam Barclay, Tupele Dorgu (Coronation Street) as Midge, Natasha O'Keeffe (Peaky Blinders) as Charlotte, Sarah Sweeney (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself) as Lucy, Ben Crompton (Game of Thrones) as Shanker, Stephen Hagan (The Larkins) as DCI Richard Murphy, and Caitlin Innes Edwards (The Witcher) as Ilsa. The new adaptation has been written by Tom Edge, who previously adapted several installments of the series, including The Ink Black Heart, Troubled Blood, and Lethal White, with Sue Tully directing. Strike: The Running Grave is scheduled to premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in December 2026, although an exact date has not yet been announced. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Release Date June 1, 2018 Network BBC One Directors Susan Tully, Michael Keillor, Charles Sturridge Writers Tom Edge Cast Tom Burke, Holliday Grainger, Kerr Logan, Jack Greenlees, Christina Cole, Natasha O'Keeffe, killian scott, Sarah Sweeney