Wizarding World director David Yates recently confirmed that he is not attached to the franchise’s upcoming series reboot on Max.
“Do you know what? Honestly, I could not, in any conceivable way, get involved,” Yates revealed during an interview with ComicBook.com. “It’s simply: I spent a long time at that school, in those corridors and in those classrooms, and it was an exquisite experience and one I will always treasure. But to go back and do another year or two, for me, I feel I’ve left it.”
Yates explained that “being in the back of a van with [producer] Lawrence [Grey] in Atlanta of Savannah, hoofing it to try and make a drama [Pain Hustlers], to me, at the moment, is more compelling than going through the hallowed gates of Hogwarts.”
However, Yates has nothing but kind words to say about the forthcoming Harry Potter reboot, wishing “that show so well.” He added, “It’s gonna be amazing to see them re-explore all it can be for the next generation. I think it’ll be a challenge for everyone involved, but it’s a very exciting enterprise and I wish it well. It was an amazing experience for me, and I know the other filmmakers who were involved, and it will be for the next generation of filmmakers.”
David Yates directed seven Wizarding World films
Yates directed the final four Harry Potter films — Order of the Phoenix (2007), Half-Blood Prince (2009), and Deathly Hallows Parts One (2010) and Two (2011) — as well as all three installments in the Fantastic Beasts prequel series (2016-22). He also directed Warner Bros.‘ Tarzan reboot, The Legend of Tarzan, in 2016. His latest film, Pain Hustlers, starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans, is currently playing in select theaters ahead of its streaming debut on Netflix on October 27, 2023.
Warner Bros. announced a series adaptation of J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series for its streaming service, Max, in April 2023. The forthcoming series has already received a seven-season order, with the plan to adapt one book per season. Rowling is attached to the Harry Potter TV reboot as an executive producer along with Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts. No casting has been announced at this time and it is unknown when the series might go into production.
The Harry Potter reboot series will stream exclusively on Max.