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New Harry. New Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore and Snape. And a brand-new Hogwarts has been revealed in the first teaser for HBO’s Harry Potter TV series.
Below are the first shots from the highly anticipated series, which reimagines the saga of JK Rowling’s seven novels into a multi-season drama series. The first season will focus on Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonewhich was previously adapted by Warner Bros. and director Chris Columbus in 2001. The trailer introduces all of the season’s main characters and shows many iconic moments.
One big surprise: The trailer reveals a Christmas premiere date of 2026, which is earlier than the previously announced 2027 date. Another surprise: the official title of the season is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Not simply Harry Potter It has also been widely assumed (the title will supposedly change each season to reflect the novel being adapted, with the first season going with the book’s original UK title rather than the US title).
The show introduces young Harry (Dominic McLaughlin) and his friends Hermione Granger (Arabella Stanton) and Ron Weasley (Alastair Stout) as they attend their first year at Hogwarts. Rounding out the adult cast are John Lithgow as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as the half-giant Hagrid, and Papa Essidu as Potions Professor Severus Snape.
succession Writer Francesca Gardiner serves as showrunner and game of thrones Veteran Mark Mylod directs several episodes of the series.
J.B. Perrett, CEO and President of Global Broadcast and Games at Warner Bros. Discovery, with the HBO series. Harry Potter As “the biggest and arguably the biggest streaming event in HBO Max’s history. It’s the first, second and third in many ways.” THR was invited to an exclusive screening of the trailer at an HBO press event in London in a room designed to look like Harry’s room under the stairs.
One item that has been making headlines recently is Essiedu’s casting as Snape. The presence of a black actor in the role described in the books as a pale white man (and previously played by Alan Rickman) caused an uproar in some segments of the fanbase. The actor recently revealed that he received death threats over the role and that he used this backlash to “fuel” his performance.
“I was told: ‘Resign or I will kill you,’” Essiedu said. The times. “It’s really important. The truth is, if I look at Instagram, I’ll see someone saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you.’ While I hope I’m okay, no one should have to face this while doing their job. A lot of people are putting their lives on the line in their work. I’m playing the role of a therapist.” Harry Potter. I would be lying if I said this doesn’t affect me emotionally. Topics running through Harry Potter It is the victory of love over hate – acceptance. That’s why I do it.”
HBO president Casey Bloys responded by telling reporters that the show had a “serious security team” in place.
Likewise, Lithgow described the pressure she was under to leave the cast, for a very different reason: Rowling’s political views. Rowling – whose Potter novels have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide – has been a controversial figure at the studio due to her views on transgender rights issues. She is involved in the series as an executive producer. Lithgow said he was “shocked” by the criticism he received, and — like Essido — noted that her books “stand clearly on the side of the angels, against bigotry and intolerance.”
“It’s very clear that these are her personal and political views. It’s her right to hold those views,” Bloys previously told reporters. Harry Potter It is not secretly instilled with anything. If you want to debate her, you can go to Twitter.”
More recently, the original Harry Potter Star Daniel Radcliffe made headlines for saying he doubted McLaughlin would be much better than he was in the famous lead role. “I’m sure Dominic will be better than me,” Radcliffe said. “I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older. I look back on what I did now with more grace, and I find it less embarrassing now that I’m older. But I’ve been pretty much learning how to do it for a long time over Potter.”
Below is a complete list of Harry Potter cast members versus who played each character in the Warner Bros. films. — George Schlay and Lily Ford contributed to this report
