The current worldwide #2 movie on HBO Max is a blessing and a curse for the network’s upcoming fantasy series. HBO Max is known for its great shows, especially some of those released in 2025. In fact, going beyond that, HBO is known for crafting some of the best TV shows of all time, be it Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, or The Wire.
Going beyond TV, though, some of the best movies on HBO Max right now naturally come from Warner Bros.’ library. That said, HBO Max continues to invest in original content, some even based on movies from those aforementioned studios.
The likes of Lanterns are coming from DC Studios, with some big Warner Bros. projects also planned. One example of the latter, via HBO, is looking to become one of the biggest fantasy shows of all time, but the movie on which it is based is currently #2 on the worldwide streaming charts on HBO Max. While this could aid the upcoming show, HBO’s Harry Potter, it could also prove to be a hindrance.
Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone Is HBO Max’s #2 Movie Worldwide
Exclusive · Personality Quiz THE SORTING HAT — WHICH HARRY POTTER HOUSE WOULD YOU BE IN? The Sorting Hat Sees All Every witch and wizard who passes through the Great Hall is sorted by the qualities they hold most dear. Ten questions stand between you and your true house. Answer honestly — the Hat can tell when you’re lying.
🦁Gryffindor 🐍Slytherin 🦅Ravenclaw 🦡Hufflepuff
01
You hear a strange noise coming from a forbidden corridor after curfew. What do you do?What calls to you in the dark?
02
A professor offers you a rare opportunity, but accepting it means letting down a friend. What do you do?Ambition vs. loyalty — a timeless test.
03
You find an ancient spellbook with powerful magic — some of it dangerous. How do you handle it?Power, wisdom, caution, or principle?
04
A classmate is being bullied by someone more powerful. You barely know the victim. What do you do?What moves you to act?
05
Which quality do you most want to be known for?What you value most reveals your deepest nature.
06
Your team is losing badly in a high-stakes competition. What’s your move?Pressure reveals character.
07
You catch a friend cheating on an important exam. What do you do?Rules, relationships, and right and wrong.
08
What do you fear most?Your deepest fear says everything about your deepest values.
09
Centuries from now, how would you want to be remembered at Hogwarts?The portrait on the wall — what does it say?
10
The Sorting Hat whispers: “I see everything you are and everything you could become. Tell me — what matters to you above all else?”The final question. Answer from your soul.
THE SORTING HAT HAS SPOKEN YOU BELONG IN…
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“Where dwell the brave at heart, their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart.”
You lead with your heart and your gut. When something is wrong, you can’t just stand there — you have to act, even when the odds are terrible and the smart move is to walk away. You’re the person people look to in a crisis, not because you’re fearless, but because you move forward when you’re afraid. Your moral compass is loud, your loyalty is fierce, and your courage can be reckless — but the world needs people like you.
Values: Courage, chivalry, determination, standing up for what’s right Watch out for: Recklessness, a hero complex, and leaping before you look Famous Gryffindors: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall
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“Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends.”
You have a vision for your life, and you’re not going to let politeness or convention stand in the way. You’re strategic, perceptive, and deeply ambitious — not necessarily for power itself, but for the freedom and influence that come with being exceptional. You read rooms, you play the long game, and you don’t waste energy on fights you can’t win. People underestimate your depth at their own risk.
Values: Ambition, resourcefulness, determination, self-preservation Watch out for: Isolation, ruthlessness, and mistaking cunning for wisdom Famous Slytherins: Severus Snape, Merlin, Regulus Black, Horace Slughorn
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“Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.”
Your mind is your greatest asset, and you know it. You’re drawn to ideas, puzzles, and the kind of deep understanding that most people don’t have the patience for. You question everything — not to be difficult, but because accepting easy answers feels dishonest. You value originality, creativity, and intellectual independence. The library isn’t just a building to you — it’s a sanctuary.
Values: Wisdom, creativity, learning, intellectual curiosity Watch out for: Overthinking, detachment, and valuing being right over being kind Famous Ravenclaws: Luna Lovegood, Filius Flitwick, Garrick Ollivander, Cho Chang
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“Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil.”
You are the heart of every group you belong to. You don’t need to be the hero of the story — you need the people in the story to be okay. Your loyalty isn’t performative; it’s bone-deep. You show up, you do the work, and you treat people with a decency that the wizarding world desperately needs more of. You’re not soft — you’re strong in the way that actually holds everything together.
Values: Loyalty, patience, fairness, hard work, kindness Watch out for: Being taken for granted, avoiding conflict, and forgetting your own needs Famous Hufflepuffs: Newt Scamander, Nymphadora Tonks, Cedric Diggory, Pomona Sprout
After the release of the trailer for HBO’s Harry Potter TV show, audiences have flocked to watch how it all started in live-action. As of the time of writing on March 31, 2026, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is currently the #2 movie on the worldwide streaming charts for HBO Max.
The movie ranks just behind Anaconda, the 2025 reboot of the film of the same name. The fact that Harry Potter, released in 2001, ranks only just behind a 2025 film on HBO Max goes to show how popular the former franchise still is. More specifically, it proves how popular the Warner Bros. movie adaptations of the Harry Potter books are to this day. Where the upcoming reboot is concerned, this could have many implications.
The Popularity Of The Harry Potter Franchise Bodes Well For HBO’s Upcoming Reboot
Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, and Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Firstly, a positive implication this could have on HBO’s Harry Potter reboot is simply how popular the IP is. A 25-year-old movie rocketing to the top of the worldwide HBO charts because of one teaser trailer typifies this. Moreover, the Harry Potter trailer broke HBO records for viewership numbers.
All of this bodes well for the eventual release of the Harry Potter show from a strictly numbers perspective. Regardless of how good the show is or isn’t, regardless of critical reception, regardless of audience reviews, HBO’s Harry Potter reboot will almost undoubtedly have excellent viewing figures.
If fans of the franchise are craving a return to Hogwarts enough to make Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone a worldwide top trending movie, there is no denying they will jump at the chance to watch a new iteration come to life. In this simple, business-minded way, the popularity of the original Harry Potter movies will have a positive impact on HBO’s reboot.
The Harry Potter Movies Could Still Hinder The TV Show
Daniel Radcliffe as Harry celebrating a Quidditch win in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Conversely, the enduring love the world has for the Harry Potter film series could hinder the upcoming show. While again, on the surface, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone being #2 on HBO Max after the release of the TV show’s trailer proves the demand is still there for the franchise, it could be more specific than that.
The trailer for HBO’s Harry Potter has been criticized for two reasons, one being the similarities it has to the original movies. Aside from a noticeably different tone, a lot of the design elements, from Hagrid’s look to the Hogwarts Express and the castle itself, are akin to those from the movie series.
When looking deeper at the boom in viewership for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, it could be the case that the Harry Potter TV trailer caused a sense of nostalgia for the original films. Audiences may have watched the trailer and thought it looked fine as an imitation of what they have come to know, only to return to that via the original 2001 movie.
This could indicate that audiences are unwilling to open themselves up to a new version of the franchise, resulting in more views for the beloved iteration that has already come to pass. If this proves to be the case, the audience reception to the new Harry Potter show may be disappointing, thanks to natural comparisons being made between it and the series of films.
How HBO’s Harry Potter Can Differentiate Itself From The Movies
Admittedly, the potential hindrance that the movies could pose to the Harry Potter TV show has a somewhat easy fix. Although the trailer for the latter did not do much to convince me that this fix will be implemented, the Harry Potter show can distance itself from the movies by doing enough differently to warrant a remake in the first place.
The similar visual styles of HBO’s Harry Potter and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and the increase in views for the latter are signs that audiences link the two in their heads, consciously or otherwise. The differences are pointed out, such as Snape now being a person of color or the Dursleys being more outright abusive towards Harry, but in a negative light, as they are unlike the movies.
Therefore, Harry Potter‘s TV show needs to find a way to be so distinct from the movies that these differences transcend minor gripes to become aspects of an entirely new iteration. The only way it can do so is by justifying itself and including elements from the Harry Potter books that were not part of the films.
From Hermione’s potion riddle to Peeves the Poltergeist, the new Harry Potter series has the power to explore the Wizarding World in more depth.
If the Harry Potter show has one key benefit over the movies, it is that it can include much more. The natural longer form of storytelling that is present in the TV medium means the books can be adapted much more faithfully. This is not to say the original movies were unfaithful, but simply that they made omissions that were deemed necessary to translate the large books into movies with constricted runtimes.
As an example, the first movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was just over two hours and 30 minutes long. Based on early reports, season 1 of HBO’s Harry Potter will be eight hours, almost quadrupling the runtime of the original movie. As a result, the TV show should include a lot more elements from the book series and delve even deeper into the parts that were present in the films.
This will especially benefit the latter half of HBO’s Harry Potter, if the series lasts that long. As the book series went on, each installment got longer, meaning the latter Harry Potter movies had to leave more out. HBO’s Harry Potter should not have this issue, given the extended runtime of each season.
For the adaptations of The Goblet of Fire and The Half-Blood Prince specifically, the TV format will be perfect. By adding in the biggest storylines that each movie left out, HBO’s Harry Potter can strike a key difference from the original films, hopefully removing the possible drawbacks the latter could have on the former, while still capitalizing on the evident popularity the franchise still possesses.
Dominic McLaughlin
