Expelliarmus redux!
HBO Max is, once again, saying goodbye to the octet of original Harry Potter fan-favorite movies.
As of Aug. 31, all eight Warner Bros. titles will be leaving the streamer: “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 “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” Parts 1 and 2.
In the U.S., fans of the Wizarding World can stream the eight Potter movies on NBCUniversal’s Peacock, which added them to the service as of July 1.
The Harry Potter film franchise has bounced between HBO Max and Peacock over the last two years — illustrating the power of enduringly popular titles to attract and retain subscribers amid the ferocious competition among streaming services.
When HBO Max launched in May 2020, it featured the eight Potter flicks. But they were gone after a 90-day window, flying over to Peacock that fall. Then HBO Max snared the rights back as of September 2021 — but that was evidently only for a 12-month term, and the Boy Who Lived has now returned to Peacock’s nest.
Even as the eight Harry Potter films fly the coop, HBO Max will continue to stream the three Fantastic Beasts movies — “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.”
The streamer also offers the “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” special, an emotional reunion of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson with director Chris Columbus and other cast members discussing the films.