Hans Zimmer confirmed to compose an original score score for HBO’s new Harry Potter series

Pulling in the big guns

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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 30: Hans Zimmer performs onstage during a concert at The O2 Arena on November 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
(Image credit: Joseph Okpako / Getty Images)

Whether you know nothing about film scores or whether you’re a regular Mark Kermode, you’ll know the name Hans Zimmer. From the sweepingly romantic The Holiday soundtrack to the inimitable Pirates of the Caribbean, Hans has a pretty stellar Hollywood record. And now he’s taking on the Wizarding World.

Hans Zimmer and his music company, Bleeding Finger Music, are officially set to compose the score for HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series.

Set to debut in 2027, each book from J.K Rowling’s literary series is set to be adapted into its own season for TV.

Harry Potter

(Image credit: HBO)

Speaking about the appointment, Zimmer and Bleeding Fingers Music composers Kara Talve and Anže Rozman. 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,” they added, referencing one of Dumbledore's famous lines from the first book - “Ah, music, a magic beyond all we do here at Hogwarts.”

Nick Frost is the next actor rumoured to be cast in HBO’s Harry Potter adaptation

Whilst the original scores from the Harry Potter films by John Williams (and later Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat) hold a special place in many cinephiles’ hearts (and ears), the new score is set to honour the existing legacy, whilst reimagining its sound for a different, extended TV format.

The majority of the casting for the new series has been confirmed, with newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout playing the show’s leading trio, Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

John Lithgow is set to play Dumbledore, Janet McTeer starring as Professor McGonagall, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Paapa Essiedu as Snape. Paul Whitehouse and Luke Thallon have been cast as Argus Filch and Professor Quirrell respectively.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby had been cast as Petunia and Vernon Dursley, with Katherine Parkinson cast as Molly Weasley, and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy. Warwick Davis is the only original actor set to reprise his role, as Charms teacher Flitwick. All new cast members have received some backlash from the public about supporting J.K Rowling’s work despite her openly transphobic views.

Zimmer is currently working on Euphoria, the third season of which is set to air on HBO later this year, as well as the third installment of the Dune series.

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Hermione Blandford
Hermione Blandford
Content Editor

Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

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