Bringing Hogwarts to television was never going to be cheap. But according to new details emerging from production accounts, HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series may end up costing even more than some of the network’s biggest productions ever, including the final season of Game of Thrones.
A new Deadline report suggests the wizarding reboot is already operating in the same financial league as HBO’s most expensive shows, with much of the spending happening before viewers even see the first episode.
Quick read:
- Harry Potter is among HBO’s costliest shows.
- Season 1 production spending topped $175 million.
- Massive Hogwarts sets are driving early costs.
Production accounts reveal the scale of HBO’s investment
According to Deadline, the series is being produced in the UK through a company called Plum Jam Productions, which filed earnings showing revenue of £130.6 million ($175 million) during 2025, the year production on season 1 began.
Combined with earlier spending in 2024, the report suggests HBO may have already spent close to £150 million ($201 million) launching the project.
Based on those figures, season 1 could average approximately £18.8 million ($25.2 million) per episode, according to Deadline’s analysis.
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That would put the show above the widely reported $15 million-per-episode cost of Game of Thrones season 8.
Credits: HBO
HBO expects future seasons to become cheaper
The enormous budget doesn’t necessarily mean every future season will cost the same amount.
Deadline reports that a source familiar with the production said spending is heavily front-loaded because Warner Bros. is building extensive permanent sets at Leavesden Studios that will be reused throughout the planned adaptation of all seven books.
The series is expected to adapt one J.K. Rowling novel per season, meaning those expensive Hogwarts sets, locations, and infrastructure should serve the show for years to come.
The cast will be led by Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Other cast members include John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Deadline also notes that the series is currently scheduled to premiere in December 2026.
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