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Harry Potter TV series tipped to face delays in season 2 production amid claims of behind-the-scenes issues
It reportedly hasn't been smooth sailing for season 2.
HBO
- Louise Griffin
Published: Friday, 4 September 2026 at 2:53 pm
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The second season of the Harry Potter series is reportedly facing trouble in production, with scripts yet to be finished and signed off.
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Season 2 of the HBO series, which will focus on JK Rowling's second novel, The Chamber of Secrets, is currently filming but The Sun claims that it will face weeks of delays.
The outlet reports that initial scripts have been scrapped due to higher-ups wanting "the plot and characterisations to be perfect" and work that was meant to start last month has been pushed back to October.
Radio Times has contacted HBO/WBD for comment.
The first season of the series, which will see Dominic McLaughlin take on the role of the Boy Wizard, is set to premiere at Christmas. John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, and Nick Frost are also set to star.
Meanwhile, season 2 has seen some casting changes. While Nicholas Hoult was originally due to play Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, he exited the show due to scheduling conflicts. Kit Harington is now set to take over.
The role of Ginny Weasley will also be recast, after Gracie Cochrane dropped out following season 1.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.
John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore in HBO's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Aidan Monaghan for HBO Max
Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.
In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.
Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.
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Harry Potter will be available to watch on HBO Max from 25 December 2026.
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Authors
Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
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