Hans Zimmer to compose original score for HBO’s new Harry Potter series
16 January 2026, 10:43
HBO has officially cast its new Harry Potter composer…
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While the world was questioning who will take on the roles of Harry, Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore, we forgot to ask a crucial question: who will pick up the baton from composer John Williams, without whose magical, sweeping orchestral cues the Harry Potter film franchise would be something different entirely?
Well, it has officially been announced that the honour will fall to Hans Zimmer and his Bleeding Fingers Music company, specifically, Kara Talve and Anže Rozman.
Having co-written the music for the Prehistoric Planet franchise – where they built instruments using real dinosaur bones – the trio will take on the challenge of composing the music for the new HBO Original Harry Potter series, set to debut in 2027.
“The musical legacy of Harry Potter is a touch point for composers everywhere and we are humbled to join such a remarkable team on a project of this magnitude,” said Hans Zimmer, Kara Talve, and Anže Rozman.
“The responsibility is something that myself, Kara Talve and Anže Rozman do not take lightly.”
Read more: Harry Potter – what are the famous themes and did John Williams score all the movies?
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They continued: “Magic is all around us, often just beyond reach, but as in the world of Harry Potter, you simply must look for it. With this score we hope to bring audiences that little bit closer to it whilst honoring what has come before.”
Hans Zimmer has won two Academy Awards for The Lion King (1994) and Dune (2021), alongside great critical and audience acclaim and numerous other accolades for his music for Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, Interstellar, Inception, The Da Vinci Code – and many more. He was also shortlisted for a 2026 Golden Globe for his F1 movie score.
His Bleeding Fingers collective, which he founded over a decade ago, will open a new London office later this year.
It is unclear whether we will hear the familiar sounds of ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ and other Harry Potter cues, but Zimmer, Talve and Rozman have cited that the new score will “honour the Harry Potter legacy” while reimagining the sound for a long-form television format.
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Who scored the original Harry Potter movies?
John Williams scored the first three instalments of the Harry Potter film franchise: the Philosopher’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban.
Scottish composer Patrick Doyle took up the mantle for the Goblet of Fire, followed by Nicholas Hooper for the Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince.
Two-time Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat scored the final two films, Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2.
