HBO Max, the streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), “really needed more development money” when she took her role about a year ago, head of originals Sarah Aubrey said in London on Wednesday. And she discussed the upcoming Harry Potter series and unveiled the renewal of the Spanish local original program Furia (Rage) as part of the company’s focus on growing its development slate.
“We have this great show Furia, which I relate to because it’s about women’s rage,” she quipped. “It has all those beautiful, fun, snappy visuals and a real sense of humor, and we’re thrilled to be picking up a season two of it.” Created and directed by Félix Sabroso, the show will return in 2026 with a second season starring a new group of actresses and several returning cast members from the first season, HBO Max said.
Asked what she was looking for, Aubrey mentioned, among other things, the enduring appeal of procedurals, pointing to the success of hit show The Pitt, which could potentially l be replicated by international dramas. “We could go back to traditional TV formats in the medical, legal and cop world,” she said. “Audiences eat those up.”
Aubrey spoke at the Content London industry gathering just hours after the streamer unveiled the latest steps in its international expansion with market launches in Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein on Jan. 13. WBD, which is currently the object of a bidding war, also noted that the service would launch in the U.K. and Ireland in early 2026, completing its European roll-out.
Germany, Italy, and the U.K. are big markets where HBO Max content is currently available under a long-running exclusive partnership with Comcast’s Sky. The White Lotus, The Last of Us, Hacks and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver are among HBO Max hit shows, with the much-anticipated Harry Potter series set for 2026.
HBO Max launched in the U.S. in 2020 and has since expanded across Latin America, Europe, Central Asia and Asia Pacific. For the third quarter of 2025, WBD reported 128 million total streaming subscribers.
Asked about how things have changed over the course of her career at the streamer and related businesses, she noted how the company has been “through a couple of mergers” and several “strategy changes.” One key lesson she has learned over time: “If you rush something at the development stage, it often ends in heartbreak.”
With the European market launches coming up early in the new year, HBO Max earlier on Wednesday also revealed a raft of upcoming local original series, including a Gina Lollobrigida docuseries in Italy and a new series from the creative team behind Netflix’s German hit original Dark in Germany.
Addressing opportunities for international talent within HBO Max, Aubrey shared that she recently showed HBO drama chief Francesca Orsi a teaser for just-unveiled German original, 4 Blocks Zero, a prequel of award-winning gangster drama 4 Blocks, saying Orsi was so impressed by the look and feel of the clip that she leaned over and asked her who the director was.
Will HBO Max order any originals in Australia? Aubrey said stuff is bubbling up there, but it is too early at this stage. She gave a similar response to a question on whether the streamer could order microdramas, saying she is too busy with “a little show called Harry Potter,” Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd’s upcoming series Half Man, various prestige dramas, procedurals, and so much more to have an eye on microdrama opportunities.
Aubrey wrapped by sharing she would visit the Harry Potter series set on Thursday, sharing: “It’s such a delightful adaptation of the books. … It’s created by a British writer. It’s directed by a British filmmaker, [These] people are the best that this country has to offer. And I’m so excited for everyone to see it.”
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