If you’ve been looking for a reason to revisit the original Harry Potter films, HBO Max just gave you a very good one.

An official Harry Potter podcast is coming to HBO Max

HBO Max has announced “Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast”, a brand-new audio and video series dedicated to revisiting all eight films in the original Wizarding World saga. The show debuts on May 19, with a special two-episode launch focused on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (or Sorcerer’s Stone if you’re in the US). After that, new episodes will drop weekly.

Each episode runs roughly 60 minutes, with two episodes per film, bringing the total runtime to around 16 hours of content. That’s a serious deep dive.

Why now? Two very good reasons

HBO Max is framing the podcast as a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the first film, which originally released in 2001 with Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as Ron, and Emma Watson as Hermione.

But there’s clearly a second motivation at play: the upcoming HBO original Harry Potter TV series, featuring an all-new cast, is scheduled to premiere Christmas 2026. The podcast is an ideal way to build excitement and bring both longtime fans and newcomers back into the Wizarding World before Season 1 arrives.

Who’s hosting?

The podcast is hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, a British film critic and broadcaster with over a decade of experience at BBC Radio 1, BBC 6Music, and BAFTA. She’s also a self-described lifelong Harry Potter fan and, as she proudly puts it, a Slytherin.

She won’t be flying solo, though. Each episode will feature a rotating roster of co-hosts from the entertainment world, offering what HBO Max describes as “a thoughtful rewatch experience” that balances film recaps with deeper discussions of standout scenes, performances, and creative decisions.

A recurring segment called “Magic Makers” will also bring in behind-the-scenes guests, people who were actually involved in bringing the Wizarding World to life on screen. That alone sounds unmissable.

Where can you watch (or listen)?

The video version of the podcast will be available exclusively on HBO Max. The audio-only version will be accessible on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The podcast is produced by HBO Max in partnership with Pod People and the first two episodes drop May 19.