Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, a new cooking competition show hosted by actors James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter movies), debuts November 14 on Food Network and Max. Variety reported that the show "will challenge professional bakers to produce elaborate cakes that taste great and tell a story that reflects Potter's Wizarding World."
Although the show, produced by Warner Horizon Television, "is expected to arrive with little fanfare," Variety noted that its debut "kicks off a carefully orchestrated effort by Warner Bros. to launch a next wave of Harry Potter products, ranging from TV series to video games to theme parks to high-end merchandise and live experiences."
Describing the goal as ambitious, Variety added that Warner Bros. "needs to extend the franchise, born in 1997 with the first installment of J.K. Rowling's bestselling novel series, with fresh spins on the characters and worlds that Potter fans know and love. The studio's blueprint for revitalizing the Potter universe will culminate in the biggest risk of all: the scripted Harry Potter TV series targeted for debut on HBO in 2026."
Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking is being shot at Leavesden Studios, on the original movie sets that were home to the eight movies. Variety noted that Rowling is not involved in managing the franchise, but WBD executives keep her updated via her literary agent.