Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020.
The arrival of the HBO Harry Potter show’s first trailer and the news of the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie prove that fantasy’s two biggest franchises are well and truly back with a bang in 2026. Ever since HBO made Game of Thrones a huge hit, the fantasy genre has been faring well with adult audiences.
Since Game of Thrones ended, hits like The Legend of Vox Machina, Arcane, Interview with a Vampire, Netflix’s The Witcher franchise, and Castlevania have all kept the genre’s R-rated side not only active, but acclaimed. These shows have all been critical successes, as have both of Game of Thrones’ official spinoffs, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Harry Potter’s Upcoming HBO Show and The New Lord Of the Rings Movies Bring Back Two Major Fantasy Franchises That said, it is hard to look at this rundown of gory, adults-only fantasy shows, all of which are critically beloved, and not notice that something is missing. Ironically, the family-friendly blockbuster franchises that used to be the genre’s most reliable moneymakers have been absent from the screen for some time. Fortunately, HBO’s new Harry Potter TV series and the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie The Hunt for Gollum mean that this trend will soon change. While the Fantastic Beasts movies and Amazon’s streaming series The Rings of Power mean that neither fantasy franchise ever fully went away, per se, these two new projects bring back the main stories of their respective franchises. Both the divisive Fantastic Beasts movies and The Rings of Power act as prequels to the Harry Potter movies and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, whereas the upcoming movie The Hunt for Gollum takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. Similarly, HBO’s Harry Potter show is a straightforward reboot. Harry Potter’s HBO Show and The Lord Of the Rings Movies Both Go Back To Basics HBO’s Harry Potter series will retread the same story as the original live-action movies, while director Andy Serkis’ 2027 movie The Hunt for Gollum will fill in the blanks between the end of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy and the beginning of the Lord of the Rings movies. This means that, after years of prequels, both series are going back to basics. Subscribe for in-depth coverage of fantasy franchises Dive into the comeback with the newsletter for deep looks at Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and other fantasy sagas—thoughtful analysis, franchise context and broader genre reporting that sharpens your fandom. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. One might argue that this constitutes playing it safe and means that the two projects will run the risk of feeling repetitive and redundant as they retread familiar story beats. This is a particularly pertinent concern with the HBO series, as it revisits the exact same existing story again. However, the comeback of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises remains big news for fantasy fans. The Lord of the Rings Movie The Lord of the Rings , The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Created by J.R.R. Tolkien First Film The Lord of the Rings Cast Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt TV Show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Character Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows
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