Say Goodbye To Stranger Things As HBO’s New Fantasy Show Takes Over

While Stranger Things enjoyed a lengthy streak as the biggest show on streaming, one upcoming series from HBO Max could soon steal that crown. If Stranger Things ended with season 1, the show’s critical legacy might be a little more positive in 2026. That said, the entertainment industry is in the business of making money, and lasting another four seasons allowed Stranger Things to spawn tie-in comics, a two-season animated spinoff series, novels, and video games.

Stranger Things went from a humble hit Netflix show to a sprawling blockbuster franchise that could rival the MCU or Star Wars by the time the original show came to an end. Like HBO’s Game of Thrones before it, the series spawned legions of imitators as countless shows were dubbed the perfect Stranger Things replacement before the series was even over. Some of these, like Netflix’s The Midnight Club and I Am Not Okay With This, were cult classics in their own right, and shows that deserved more attention outside their similarities with the existing hit.

Others, like HBO Max’s Stephen King adaptation IT: Welcome to Derry, managed to feel entirely original and fresh even though there was no denying the fact that the success of Stranger Things undoubtedly helped them get the green light. However, none of these shows managed to actually replicate the massive, record-breaking mainstream success enjoyed by Stranger Things as a franchise. That said, one upcoming HBO Max show, 2026’s Harry Potter reboot, hopes to change that.

Warner Bros Is Betting On Harry Potter Becoming A Streaming Hit

Set for release in December 2026, HBO’s new Harry Potter show is set to be the biggest streaming series since Prime Video debuted The Lord of the Rings prequel The Rings of Power in 2022. However, even though The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are both major fantasy franchises, Stranger Things is the series whose streaming success Warner Bros is truly trying to replicate with this new adaptation.

The show dropping on Friday instead of Sunday on HBO/HBO Max proves that the cable network’s streaming service is eager to pull in a younger audience, much like Stranger Things was aimed primarily at teens and young adults. While many popular fantasy shows that debuted after Game of Thrones, from The Witcher to Prime Video’s Critical Role shows The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein, are unapologetically R-rated, Harry Potter will buck this trend.

The show will not only be family-friendly, but actively aimed at children in a way that few of the earlier proposed Stranger Things replacements were. Of all the potential Stranger Things substitutes, Harry Potter is the most likely to earn the biggest audience since the show is suitable for all ages, something that even Stranger Things itself could not claim.

Harry Potter’s Attempts To Become The “New Stranger Things” Could Backfire

One of Netflix’s biggest Stranger Things replacements, the Addams Family spinoff Wednesday, was a massive success thanks in part to its TV-14 rating. In contrast, IT: Welcome to Derry, I Am Not Okay With This, Paper Girls, and plenty of other major shows that were marketed as potential Stranger Things replacements were instead squarely aimed at an audience of young adults and adults.

Of course, there is reason to believe that HBO’s attempts to craft a Stranger Things replacement with widespread appeal could backfire. Part of the reason Stranger Things was so popular was the show’s dark tone, especially in seasons 1 and 4, whereas HBO’s new take on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is unlikely to have much in the way of edge or maturity. As such, by trying to aim for the biggest audience possible, HBO Max’s Harry Potter series may ironically fail to replicate what made Stranger Things so special.

Release Date

December 25, 2026

Showrunner

Francisca Gardiner

Directors

Mark Mylod

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  Dominic McLaughlin

  Harry Potter

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  Janet McTeer

  Minerva McGonagall

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