'Such a Big Commitment' — HBO Says Harry Potter TV Series Was a 'Financial Investment We Normally Wouldn't Make'

HBO has described its commitment to the upcoming Harry Potter TV series as a "financial investment we wouldn't normally make" in order to bring the series' full story to life. Filming for the show began last summer, with a plan to turn each of the Harry Potter books into a full season of television. That plan will see work on the series continue for much of the next decade, with actors signed up to portray their characters through the end of production. Speaking today at the Series Mania TV conference (via Variety), HBO Max head of original programming Sarah Aubrey described the project as "such a big commitment" for the streamer, at a cost that would otherwise be unheard of. As part of the same event, HBO also released an image from the series, showing Harry Potter (Dominic McLaughlin) about to play Quidditch. "It's just very special working on something that means that much," Aubrey continued. "There's a lot of pressure, but it's also very, very special... The world that has been created is absolutely extraordinary." Earlier this month, a major set leak revealed our first look at the show's new version of Diagon Alley, the magical shopping street featured throughout the series. L