HBO Max previews Harry Potter podcast with McLaughlin

Warner Bros. Discovery briefly listed a new title called “Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast, Season 1” in HBO Max’s May lineup, then removed it. (entertainmentnow.com) (press.wbd.com) The listing appeared in an April 24, 2026 “What’s New on HBO Max This May” release from the company’s press site, according to outlets that captured it before it vanished. CBR and MovieWeb both reported the podcast was slated for May 19. (cbr.com) (movieweb.com) (entertainmentnow.com) Warner Bros. Discovery has not published a separate press release for the podcast, and the current HBO Max press page no longer shows the title in its visible May programming roundup. (press.wbd.com) That makes the story less about a finished launch than a glimpse of how HBO is extending Harry Potter beyond the new TV series. The reported title points back to the original eight films, not the coming adaptation. (movieweb.com) (entertainmentnow.com) The timing also lines up with a bigger franchise push already underway. HBO said on March 25 that its first season, titled “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” will debut at Christmas 2026. (press.wbd.com) HBO has already locked in Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. Wizarding World said the trio emerged from “tens of thousands” of auditions. (harrypotter.com) The adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. HBO announced those castings in April 2025 and expanded the lineup in March 2026. (press.wbd.com 1) (press.wbd.com 2) HBO also said the series teaser drew more than 277 million organic views in its first 48 hours, a company record for HBO and HBO Max trailers. That gives a sense of why even a stray podcast listing drew immediate attention. (press.wbd.com) For now, the firm facts are narrow: the title appeared, outside outlets reported a May 19 date, and the listing was pulled. Until Warner Bros. Discovery restores the entry or issues a standalone announcement, the podcast remains an official tease with an unofficial timetable. (entertainmentnow.com) (cbr.com) (press.wbd.com)