A new TV series based on the original seven Harry Potter books could be on the way, according to a report from Bloomberg citing two individuals with knowledge of the as-yet-unsigned deal. It’s reportedly hoped that the series will be a cornerstone of Warner Bros. Discovery’s new streaming strategy, which will involve replacing its existing HBO Max and Discovery Plus platforms with a new combined service.

Warner Bros. originally adapted the Harry Potter books into a series of eight films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint between 2001 and 2011. But according to Bloomberg, turning each book into a whole season of TV will “allow the writers to delve further” into the original stories. 

But since the release of the original movies, the franchise’s reputation has been caught up in its author JK Rowling’s increasingly controversial comments about the trans community. Vox has a thorough timeline of Rowling’s comments over the years, which include calling the trans rights movement “a powerful, insidious, misogynistic movement, that has gained huge purchase in very influential areas of society” in a recent podcast. Franchise stars including Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint have publicly emphasized their own support of the trans community following Rowling’s comments.

The controversies have overshadowed recent Harry Potter spinoffs including the video game Hogwarts Legacy, which several outlets declined to cover and a major gaming forum banned the discussion of. Other recent spinoffs include the Fantastic Beasts prequel series of films, whose third entry released last year to a lukewarm critical reception.

Despite the controversies, Legacy quickly became one of Warner Bros. best-selling releases, and the last Beasts film was the 12th highest grossing movie of 2022 internationally.

Bloomberg notes that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has said he wants to invest in a smaller number of bigger movies and TV shows. The company’s other heavyweight franchises include the DC superhero universe which is currently being effectively reset by James Gunn, and multiple Lord of the Rings movies it’s working on with New Line Cinema.

Bloomberg’s report doesn’t offer any details on who might be in line to direct or star in the new TV series.