Beloved stories of the past are increasingly getting a second life: some return with new actors and completely reboot a familiar plot, others continue their story after a decade, while still others expand universes that audiences were reluctant to say goodbye to. The Ukrainian publication Styler has gathered seven major comebacks that have already happened or are waiting for viewers in the coming months, and XAB.info breaks down the key ones, checking dates and facts against independent sources. The collage for the article combines shots of the new Hogwarts and behind-the-scenes moments from returning projects.
'Harry Potter': HBO Reboots Hogwarts with a New Generation
On September 2, 2026, HBO released a new trailer for the Harry Potter series, giving fans one of the most detailed looks at the updated Hogwarts. The clip features the 'new' Harry, Ron and Hermione, the Sorting Ceremony, Quidditch matches and familiar teachers at the school of magic. The premiere of the first season is set for Christmas — December 25, 2026. Importantly: the creators are not continuing the famous film saga with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, but are re-adapting J.K. Rowling's books from scratch. The first season is titled 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,' with Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton in the lead roles. The makers promise to bring back even book episodes that were not in the films — the trailer already shows Harry's schooling at a regular Muggle school and Dudley and his friends bullying the boy.
'American Horror Story': Season 13 as the 'Avengers' of Horror
One of the most famous horror series of the 20th century returns after a long break: the 13th season of 'American Horror Story' kicks off on FX and Hulu on September 24, 2026, and the creators have decided to turn the number 13 into a celebration for longtime fans. Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts and other anthology stars will appear on screen again, with some actors returning to their iconic roles — Lange will once again be Constance Langdon, Paulson — Cordelia Foxx, Roberts — Madison Montgomery, and Bassett — Marie Laveau. The new season will effectively unite the worlds of several previous parts: Ryan Murphy compared the concept to the 'Avengers,' where familiar heroes gather together before a common evil, and characters from 'Murder House,' 'Coven,' 'Freak Show,' 'Cult' and other seasons will return to the plot.
'Practical Magic 2': The Owens Sisters Return After Nearly Three Decades
Almost thirty years after the release of 'Practical Magic,' the Owens sisters will appear on the big screen again: the international release of 'Practical Magic 2' begins on September 9, 2026. This is not a remake, but a continuation of the 1998 film — Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return to the roles of Sally and Gillian, who will once again have to face dark family magic and a curse threatening the Owens family. Bullock and Kidman are joined by original actresses Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, while a new generation of the family is played by Joey King and Maisie Williams. The director is Susanna Bier, and the plot is partly based on Alice Hoffman's novel 'The Magic Book.'
The 'Big Bang Theory' Universe and an Adult Aang
After 'The Big Bang Theory' ended in 2019, its universe continued to grow, and in the summer of 2026 its own series received one of the funniest supporting characters from the original — comic book shop owner Stuart Bloom. The spin-off 'Stuart Couldn't Save the Universe' premiered on HBO Max on July 23: in the plot, Stuart accidentally breaks a device created by Sheldon and Leonard, triggering a multiversal apocalypse, and he has to save reality together with Denise, Bert and Barry Kripke. A bonus for fans were meetings with alternative versions of familiar characters, and the creators do not try to repeat the old sitcom but use its world for a more outlandish sci-fi story. In parallel, Aang returned as an adult: on July 25, 2026, the feature-length animated film 'Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender' was released on Paramount+, continuing the story of the cult cartoon after the victory over the Fire Nation. Aang learns of an ancient power capable of saving the Air Nomad culture from extinction, and together with his friends sets out to find it; the role of Aang was voiced by Eric Nam, and Dave Bautista made a loud entrance into the cast.
'The Lord of the Rings': Gollum Sets Out on the Hunt
Middle-earth is preparing for yet another major comeback: on December 17, 2027, Warner Bros. will release 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.' The project once again brings together the people who created the famous film trilogy — Andy Serkis will not only return to the role of Gollum but also direct the film, while Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh are among the producers and creators. Thus, by 2027 audiences will receive several waves of cult franchise comebacks, each following its own path — from a full reboot to a continuation after decades.
Contradictory Data
On 'Harry Potter,' the sources have minor discrepancies in wording. In the Styler article, the September 2 clip is called a 'new trailer,' while a number of other publications (including ixbt.com) describe it as the 'first trailer' of the series — that is, it is the same clip, but with a different assessment of its novelty. In addition, the original Styler source mentions only the first season with a premiere on December 25, 2026, while independent publications (for example, tengrinews.kz) report that the reboot has already received a confirmed second season. Both versions do not exclude each other: the second season may have been announced separately, but this information is absent from the basic Styler text, so when reading it is worth keeping in mind that details about the series' continuation are not confirmed by all sources.
