The HBO ones Harry Potter The series will be “a little more in-depth than a two-hour movie,” the company's head of television, Channing Dungey, confirmed.
Dungey, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group, was a keynote speaker at MIPCOM C-Suite Conversations, a partnership between MIPCOM Cannes and VarietyMonday afternoon. He runs the largest television studio in the world, currently producing content in all formats and genres, including hits such as Shrinking, Abbott Elementary, Ted Lasso — the fourth season that Dungey said the show's star, head writer and co-creator Jason Sudeikis is “really excited about” (more on that later) — The sexual life of university students, Harley Quinn AND The Bachelor.
But there is one project that no one can stop talking about: Variety Co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton admitted Monday, “I don't think, legally, I'm allowed to let you off the stage without asking,” she said. “What can you tell us about Harry Potter project?”
Dungey responded: “There's not much to talk about right now. We have our amazing writing staff in place and they're doing what they need to do. And casting has opened in the UK and Ireland, so the process is moving forward. It's going pretty well.”
When we further investigated the excitement of having an IP like JK Rowling's Harry Potter books to play with, Dungey said, “It's an incredible dream, honestly, and as someone who's a huge fan of the books, the opportunity to explore them maybe a little deeper than you could in just two movies of a 'now, this is why we are on this journey.
Channing Dungey, CEO of Warner Bros. Television.
Unique images by Nicole/Getty
In June, the series named Francesca Gardiner as writer and showrunner and tapped Mark Mylod to direct more episodes. Both are Emmy winners for HBO Succession — Gardiner as part of the show's production team and Mylod as both director and producer.
When the talk turned to Ted Lassoof which viewers and even co-creators are waiting for Sudeikis to give the official green light for another season, Dungey said: “We're talking about season four, and they're very exciting conversations, but we're still early days. But what I will say is that we were always clear that there would be no more [Ted Lasso] if Jason and the team weren't thrilled about it. I can tell you firsthand that he's in a situation where he feels really excited and very comfortable.”
In recent conversations with The Hollywood journalistits co-creators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein have both reiterated that the ball is in Sudeikis' court, even with Apple TV+ optioning some cast members. “Jason Sudeikis is the character, but he's also the voice of the show. He's the head writer. … Out of 100% respect, the first time someone hears who's going to be involved, what they're doing, what's happening, it's because they're ready to talk about it. So I will politely say that I am ready for whatever the captain of the ship wants me to be,” Lawrence said.
At MIPCOM, Dungey was also asked about the transition Hollywood is currently going through and how it is no longer a broadcast industry but much, much more – and how learning to adapt has never been more vital to survival. “The company has been in a period of transition, really, since the beginning of this decade,” Dungey said. “Because COVID has really pushed a lot of things into a different space and forced us to think about manufacturing differently.”
“There were economic challenges that we faced,” he admitted. “And then the two strikes, right? It was non-stop. What I think we're all grappling with is that business has changed dramatically.