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HBO’s investment in the upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series puts its budget on par with some of the network’s priciest shows, with the original cost of the series so far starting around $200 million.
According to earnings filings from HBO-owned Plum Jam Productions, which produces the “Harry Potter” series, revenue will hit £130.6 million (nearly $175 million) in 2025, when the series begins production at Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios.
The revenue of the companies in 2024, when preparations for the series began, was £18.4 million (about $25 million), putting the budget for the establishment of the show – which aims for a seven-season run to represent one book “Harry Potter” JK Rowling per season – about £150 million, or a little more than $200 million.
The figures from the filing may not show the total costs associated with the production, as the company – which exists to help with UK filming repayments – has been associated with previous productions, including “The Nevers,” when they adopted the name Roundabout Productions. HBO declined to comment.
But, despite the high numbers — the first film worked on a budget of $125 million — a person familiar with the matter told TheWrap that budgets are falling on par with HBO’s world-building shows like “Game of Thrones” spinoff “House of the Dragon” and “The Last of Us.” The final season of “GOT” would cost about $15 million per episode, while “House of the Dragon” was valued at $15-$20 million and “Last of Us” at $10-$15 million.
The increased costs also account for an upfront investment for HBO to create sets and infrastructure that will be used over the course of the seven seasons, although only two seasons have officially been greenlit, with production on season 2 beginning this fall.
That infrastructure even includes a school building for child actors to attend for the next ten years.
“Harry Potter” premieres Christmas Day on HBO and HBO Max.
