HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series will have one major connection to the original films that fans may not expect: its music is deliberately being developed in a very different direction. Composer Hans Zimmer has addressed the challenge of following John Williams’ celebrated work, making it clear that he does not intend to recreate the musical style that defined the first Harry Potter movies.
Speaking with Collider, Zimmer explained that attempting to sound like Williams would defeat the purpose of creating a new score. His approach is instead focused on establishing an original musical identity for HBO’s adaptation.
Hans Zimmer Wants the New Harry Potter Score to Stand Apart
Zimmer acknowledged the enormous challenge of creating music for a franchise whose cinematic identity is closely associated with Williams. The legendary composer scored the first three Harry Potter films and created “Hedwig’s Theme,” a melody that subsequently became one of the defining musical signatures of the entire franchise.
However, Zimmer said he intends to avoid simply following that blueprint.
“I can’t write like John Williams, but even if I could, I would try to stay away as far as possible and try to be original,”
Zimmer told Collider.
The comments highlight an important distinction between HBO’s adaptation and the eight-film franchise. Rather than attempting to make viewers feel as though they are returning to the movies, the new series can use its longer television format to develop a musical language of its own.
This is not the first time Zimmer has inherited a property with an iconic Williams score attached to it. He previously composed the music for 2013’s Man of Steel, which followed Williams’ influential work on the original Superman films.
Zimmer recalled being deeply intimidated during the early stages of that project. For months, he questioned how he could approach Superman after Williams had already created such memorable music for the character.
Eventually, director Zack Snyder gave Zimmer some perspective, telling him,
“Hans, it was just a movie. This is just a movie.”
Zimmer said the comment helped free him from the pressure of comparing every musical decision with Williams’ work.
That experience appears particularly relevant to Harry Potter, where the expectation surrounding the music may be just as intense.
HBO’s Harry Potter Series Will Build Its Own Musical Identity
Zimmer and Bleeding Fingers Music were announced as the team behind the HBO series’ original score earlier this year. The company described the project as an opportunity to honor the franchise’s musical history while developing a new sound for a long-form television adaptation.
The new Harry Potter series is scheduled to premiere on HBO and HBO Max on December 25, 2026. Dominic McLaughlin stars as Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
With the television series adapting the books across multiple seasons, Zimmer’s decision to move away from the film scores could ultimately allow the reboot to develop musical themes specifically for its characters and story arcs.
For longtime fans, that may be one of the biggest creative differences between HBO’s Harry Potter and the movies: the new series won’t necessarily try to recreate the sound of Hogwarts audiences already know. Instead, Zimmer wants the music to make this version of the Wizarding World feel like its own experience.
