The BBC has commissioned a major two-part documentary on J.K. Rowling, with the first episode dedicated to the rise of the Harry Potter phenomenon. Here’s what we know so far.

A New BBC Documentary on the Author Behind Harry Potter

The BBC is preparing a two-part documentary on J.K. Rowling, tracing the author’s career from her rise to fame through to her place in today’s cultural debates. Working title: J.K. Rowling.

The series has been commissioned from Rogan Productions, the company behind Grenfell: Uncovered, and was greenlit by BBC Two, BBC Scotland and iPlayer. It is currently being pitched to international buyers at MIPCOM.

Episode One: The Making of Harry Potter

For Potterheads, the first episode is the one to watch. It is set to explore how the Harry Potter series came to life and how it grew into one of the most successful franchises in publishing and film history.

According to the announcement, the episode will look at the extraordinary scale of the wizarding world, from the books that sold in the hundreds of millions to the blockbuster film adaptations and the global fandom that followed. The producers say the documentary will draw on rare archive footage, Rowling’s own words, and interviews with people who worked with her over the years.

Episode Two: A Polarising Public Figure

The second part shifts focus to Rowling’s public interventions on Scottish independence, feminism, free speech and gender identity. These positions have placed her at the center of heated online debates, and the BBC acknowledges her status as a divisive figure.

Will J.K. Rowling Take Part?

The announcement does not say whether Rowling is cooperating with the documentary or will be interviewed.

Simon Young, the BBC’s head of history commissioning, framed the project around the franchise’s 30th anniversary. He said that thirty years after the first book’s publication, the timing felt right to examine one of the major figures of British literature, adding that no cultural history of 21st-century Britain would be complete without the boy wizard, the publishing and film phenomenon it spawned, and the polarising figure Rowling has become.

Behind the Documentary

• Production company: Rogan Scotland
• Broadcasters: BBC Two, BBC Scotland, iPlayer
• Executive producers: James Rogan and Mark Hedgecoe
• Commissioners: Simon Young and David Harron (BBC Scotland)
• Commissioned by: Jack Bootle (head of specialist factual) and Louise Thornton (head of multi-platform commissioning, BBC Scotland)

Source: Deadline