HBO’s new Harry Potter series to be one of the most expensive shows ever made

With the Harry Potter series about to begin filming, it’s been reported the show will be one of the most expensive TV series’ ever made.

The new Harry Potter series is on track to become the expensive TV show ever made.

The rebooted HBO show based off J.K Rowling’s beloved books is slated to cost a staggering $AU155 million per episode, according to The Sun.

Currently, the costliest show in history is Amazon Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings spin-off, The Rings of Power, which had a $US60 million ($AU93 million) per episode budget when the first season was made in 2020.

Rings of Power’s first season had eight episodes, while the debut Harry Potter series will reportedly have six.

It’s set to begin filming at the company’s 200-acre studio in Leavesden, Herts in the coming months.

Emma Watson as Hermione, Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley in Warner Bros’ Harry Potter films, which are being adapted for TV. Picture: Warner Bros/Murray Close

HBO’s upcoming TV adaptation comes 14 years after the eighth and final Warner Bros. film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released in cinemas, bringing to an end a frenzied decade-long box office run.

Made on a budget of $US250 million, which was a shared cost with its predecessor film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, it enjoyed a hefty global box office gross of $US1.342 billion.

The magical stories jumped off the page and have become an everlasting cultural phenomenon, spawning theme parks, merchandise and video games, with the Harry Potter brand said to be worth more than $US25 billion.

Meanwhile, an announcement about the three unknown actors set to portray Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley is imminent, per The Sun.

Warner Bros. has picked its leading trio from more than 32,000 actors who sent in audition tapes across the UK.

Established actors have already joined the cast, with John Lithgow set to play Albus Dumbledore, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.

John Lithgow has already joined the cast. Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images/AFP

Lithgow will portray Dumbledore, who was played by Michael Gambon in most of the films.

Elsewhere in the cast, Janet McTeer will portray Professor Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape and Luke Thallon will fill the shoes of Professor Quirinus Quirrell.

Despite Rowling’s controversial reputation in recent years due to her outspoken views about the transgender community, the billionaire author is an executive producer on the show.

HBO CEO Casey Bloys confirmed in November Rowling had “been fairly involved” in the making of the show, which is expected to debut in 2026.

J.K. Rowling with the Harry Potter cast at the final film’s premiere in 2011. Picture: Jon Furniss/WireImage

“She was very involved in the process of selecting the writer and the director,” Bloys told reporters at a press event.

“I imagine she’ll have opinions on casting. It hasn’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff or anything, so we haven’t felt any impact from that.”

It’s been reported the show will run for a whopping seven seasons, with each season focused on one of Rowling’s books.

Warner Bros. has also stated it would be a “decade-long series”, which Lithgow confirmed in a recent interview.

“Of course, it was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play,” Lithgow said in April.

“It’s an eight-year commitment so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”

Originally published as HBO’s new Harry Potter series to be one of the most expensive shows ever made