In a reversal of magical proportions, all eight Harry Potter films will fly back to Peacock after spending only about six weeks on HBO Max.
Over the course of the last year, the streaming rights for Warner Bros. Pictures' Harry Potter films have been in contention, bouncing back and forth between multiple streaming services. The series has spent the most time on NBC's Peacock, but in early September, the Potter movies migrated to WarnerMedia's HBO Max. However, Peacock announced the acclaimed saga of witchcraft and wizardry will yet again return to the NBC-owned streaming platform this fall as part of its "Peaktober" lineup. Starting Oct. 15, the eight mainline Harry Potter films will be available to stream on Peacock once more.
The returning collection will include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Like before, the recent Potter prequels Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will not be included, forcing fans wishing to watch them to look elsewhere.
HBO Max first hosted the Harry Potter saga when the platform launched in May 2020, but the streaming rights expired after three months, causing the series to leave the platform. The films then moved to Peacock, where they resided until returning to HBO Max twice: once for the month of June 2021 and again for its current run from Sep. 1 to Oct. 15.
Adapted from the wildly popular books by J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter film adaptations first premiered in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the U.S.), which recently received a 20th anniversary re-release. Warner Bros. Pictures then released near-yearly installments until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 capped off the story in 2011. Every entry in the epic young adult fantasy story was well-received upon release, with fans still divided on which film is the best in the saga. Even Daniel Radcliffe, the actor behind Harry himself, recently declared one Potter movie as his personal favorite.
The films of the Wizarding World have since lived a second life through the Fantastic Beasts prequels, the first two of which released in 2016 and 2018, respectively. The third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, will hit theaters on April 15, 2022. The Secrets of Dumbledore and the final two Fantastic Beasts films will continue to explore the story of the conflict between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald that culminated in the First Wizarding War.
In addition to Potter, the Peaktober lineup will include a slew of horror franchise collections such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Predator, Chucky and Friday the 13th. The next Halloween entry, 2021's Halloween Kills, will also hit the platform on Oct. 15, the same day it premieres in theaters.
Source: Peacock