Hans Zimmer succeeds John Williams to set the Harry Potter series to music

The historical composer, who imagined the immediately identifiable notes of the world of Hogwarts, hands over. But not to just anyone.

Will HBO’s future Harry Potter series be able to do without the saga’s iconic musical theme entirely?

In any case, to create its own universe, the super production called on Hans Zimmer and his company Bleeding Fingers Music. They will compose the soundtrack for this highly anticipated adaptation, which is scheduled to launch in 2027 (on HBO Max in France).

Based on JK Rowling’s seven novels – from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – the series will adopt an ambitious format: one book per season. A long format approach designed to explore in depth the universe, characters and mythology of the saga.

In a press release, Hans Zimmer, accompanied by composers Kara Talve and Anže Rozman, praised the “immense musical legacy” of Harry Potter, claiming to fully appreciate the responsibility such a project represents. “Magic is all around us, often out of reach. As in the world of Harry Potter, sometimes you just need to know where to look,” they explain, promising a score respectful of the past while offering a rereading adapted to a prestigious series.

Founded by Zimmer over a decade ago, Bleeding Fingers Music will soon open a new office in London. The composer is also pre-selected for the next Oscars for F1, and this year will write the music for Euphoria and Dune: Part 3.

The music for the films was successively entrusted to John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper and Alexandre Desplat, whose themes have become iconic. The new series intends to honor this heritage while renewing its sonic identity. It will be necessary to accompany the new casting: Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton will be Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout will lend his features to Ron Weasley. Alongside them, John Lithgow (Dumbledore), Paapa Essiedu (Snape) and Janet McTeer (McGonagall) complete a cast mixing new faces and established figures.