HBO Builds On-Set School for Child Stars of New ‘Harry Potter’ Series

HBO is going all-in on its ambitious new Harry Potter TV series by setting up a dedicated school on set for its young cast. The show, currently being filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, is expected to span up to ten years, and this long-term commitment has led producers to create a proper educational environment for the many children involved in the project.

According to BBC reports, the Three Rivers District Council has approved the construction of portable classrooms on the studio lot. These temporary classrooms will be used primarily to accommodate child actors, especially during large-scale scenes that involve a significant number of young performers. While the facility can hold up to 600 students at its busiest, it will usually serve around 150 children.

The on-set school is scheduled to operate from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, giving young actors the flexibility to balance their education with demanding filming schedules — including late-night shoots.

Although the planning documents didn’t directly reference Harry Potter, they described the project as a major new TV series slated to be based at the studio for up to a decade. The BBC confirmed that the school would remain operational for the same duration.

Development for the series began back in January 2021, with Warner Bros. aiming to reintroduce the Wizarding World through a serialized format for what was then HBO Max. A year later, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav reportedly met with J.K. Rowling to discuss future wizarding projects.

The show was officially announced on April 12, 2023, as a new live-action adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s original seven-book saga. Each season will focus on one book, promising a detailed and faithful retelling. Rowling will serve as an executive producer and expressed her enthusiasm for the opportunity to delve deeper into the stories than previous adaptations allowed.

Initially planned to premiere in 2026, the series experienced a platform shift in June 2024, moving from Max to HBO. Soon after, Francesca Gardiner was announced as the showrunner, with Succession director Mark Mylod joining as director and executive producer. David Heyman, who produced the original film series, is also back on board in an executive role.

Casting efforts were extensive — HBO held open auditions that drew around 32,000 hopefuls. Among the chosen cast members are Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy.

Fans can expect the new Harry Potter series to premiere on HBO and HBO Max in 2027, marking the beginning of a decade-long magical journey.