HBO Boss has seen Harry Potter season 1 and loves it

HBO chief Casey Bloys has watched the entire first season of the Harry Potter series, and he is not holding back. It is the first real verdict on the show, which premieres on Christmas Day.

He’s seen every episode

Bloys gave his verdict in an interview with Bloomberg, reports Screen Rant. The head of HBO and Max content said he has already seen the full season.

He left little doubt about how he felt, saying “it is great, and I’m very, very happy.” He added that he feels very good about it.

Season 1 adapts Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, with Francesca Gardiner as showrunner, Mark Mylod directing and executive producing, and a score by Hans Zimmer.

Season 2 already underway

HBO isn’t waiting for the premiere. Season 2 adapts Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and cameras were rolling in the village of Latimer, Buckinghamshire in September, according to Inside the Magic.

With the two seasons now overlapping, writer Jon Brown has been promoted to co-showrunner alongside Francesca Gardiner.

Don’t expect a new season every year, though. Bloys has cautioned that the show won’t follow an annual schedule, and Season 2 reportedly won’t arrive in 2027.

The long wait ahead

That gap matters more for this series than for most. HBO plans one book per season with young actors in the lead roles, so every extra year between seasons is a year the cast grows older than their characters.

The films faced the same problem and released eight instalments between 2001 and 2011 to keep up. A slower rhythm means HBO has to film well ahead of release, and the overlap between the first two seasons shows that is already happening.

If you want to know what that second season will cover, our complete guide to Chamber of Secrets walks through the story the cast is filming now.