HBO’s Harry Potter series will be a reboot of the film franchise and a closer adaptation of the book series, but it seems awfully similar thus far. The upcoming project, expected to release sometime in 2026, will feature a brand-new cast of actors in the roles made iconic in the movies. A talented creative crew headed by showrunner Francesca Gardiner (Succession) join a long list of names to bring the books to life. However, Harry Potter will also borrow a very specific, familiar element that permeates throughout the franchise — the visual effects used to create the world of Hogwarts.

Deadline reports that the Oscar-winning VFX company Framestore, who worked on the magical creatures in all eight theatrical films, is in talks to work on HBO’s Harry Potter. They famously created the CGI hippogriff Buckbeak, which, as Deadline points out, took 15 months for a 90-person team to create. Although a deal has not been finalized yet, Framestore is expected to lend their hand in creating the world of Harry Potter again. It’s unclear if they will be using the same designs as the previous films, but it’s safe to say they will be quite familiar with the source material. Framestore won an Academy Award for Blade Runner 2049 and most recently worked on Wicked, Furiosa, and Paddington in Peru, to name a few.

The report claims that WB is talking to other VFX companies for the job, but it seems Framestore will likely be the main studio working on the reboot. The Harry Potter franchise was always known for its top-notch production quality and groundbreaking CGI, so HBO wants to bring the same level of quality on the small screen. The reboot wants to be considered new and exciting while also pulling on nostalgia, and time will tell if HBO can have its cake and eat it too.

‘Harry Potter’ is Rounding Out its Cast

While HBO sorts out the post-production side of things, the series is ramping up its casting search to begin filming sometime next year. Mark Rylance is being eyed to play Dumbledore, and although a deal is not in place, he is the favorite to land the role. Meanwhile, the network is casting a worldwide net to find its main trio, which will be open to a diverse range of candidates. No more news on that front just yet, but it would not be shocking to hear the names that will lead the HBO series for years to come before the end of 2024.

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No matter who lands the coveted roles, they will have a lot to live up to and sky-high expectations from the loyal fanbase after the Harry Potter movie franchise nailed them the first time around. That said, Rylance is already a name worth getting excited about for Dumbledore, and the fact the show will be a more in-depth adaptation of the books is intriguing for longtime fans. Each season will adapt a book, meaning a minimum of seven seasons are on their way from HBO if it’s well-received.