HBO's series adaptation of JK Rowling's Harry Potter books has received a major upgrade, with Hans Zimmer joining the project as its background score composer. Zimmer and Bleeding Fingers Music, the company he owns, have been attached to work on the project. Each of Rowling's books in the novel series will have a series adaptation. As reported earlier, Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton have been attached to star in it as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, respectively. The series' writer Francesca Gardiner also acts as an executive producer and the showrunner, with Rowling herself serving as an executive producer. Mark Mylod has been attached to direct more than one episode, in addition to working in the capacity of an executive producer.
Announcing the news, Zimmer and composers Anze Rozman and Kara Talve of Bleeding Fingers Music said, “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. The responsibility is something that myself, Kara Talve and Anže Rozman do not take lightly. 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.”
Zimmer is expected to compose the score in a way that honours Harry Potter's legacy and that reimagines its music for the long-form television audience at the same time. John Williams, Nicholas Hooper, Alexandre Desplat, and Patrick Doyle served as composers on the Harry Potter films.
Beyond the HBO series, Hans Zimmer's upcoming projects also include Dune: Part Three, Euphoria season 3, and Ramayana: Part 1, where he works with AR Rahman.
The series also stars John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, among others. It is set to release next year.