HARRY POTTER SERIES UNVEILS FULL TRAILER
HBO has released the full trailer for its anticipated Harry Potter TV series, giving fans their most detailed look yet at the new generation of Hogwarts students.
The new adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is set to arrive later this year, with Dominic McLaughlin taking over the title role from Daniel Radcliffe alongside a very A-list cast of acting greats.
He is joined by Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, with the young actors appearing together in several familiar moments from JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel.
The new footage, released to mark Back to Hogwarts Day, offers a closer look at Harry’s first year at the wizarding school, including his arrival at Hogwarts and his introduction to some of its most famous professors.
Among the scenes recreated for the series is Harry’s Sorting Ceremony, as the Sorting Hat decides which of the school’s four houses he should join.
Fans are also given their first proper glimpse of the Quidditch pitch, as well as Harry’s famously uncomfortable first Potions lesson with Professor Severus Snape.
Paapa Essiedu takes on the role of Snape, following Alan Rickman’s portrayal of the character across the original film franchise. The trailer also features John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall and Nick Frost as groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid.
Meanwhile, Lox Pratt appears as Harry’s school rival Draco Malfoy, while Rory Wilmot plays Neville Longbottom.
Warwick Davis is one of the few stars from the original Harry Potter films returning for the new adaptation and will once again play Professor Filius Flitwick.
HBO has also released a new synopsis for the first season, teasing the danger Harry will encounter after discovering that the ordinary life he has known with the Dursley family is not what it seems.
‘There is nothing special about Harry Potter – or so his Aunt Petunia tells him,’ it reads.
‘But when a mysterious letter of admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry arrives, it opens the door to a hidden world of magic, friendship and adventure.
‘Yet behind Hogwarts’ enchanted walls lie dark secrets. Harry must find the courage to prove himself against the darkest wizard of all.’
The trailer has also prompted discussion among fans, with some viewers noting that the Hogwarts students appear noticeably young in the new footage.
Comments pointed to Harry, Ron, Hermione and their classmates being presented as ‘proper kids’, while others focused on some of the visual differences between the series and the original films.
Among the changes spotted is the design of the mountain troll Harry and Ron encounter during their first year, which differs from the creature seen in the 2001 film.
Viewers have also noted that the new series appears more brightly lit in places, offering a different look at Hogwarts and its classrooms compared with some of the darker visuals used across the film franchise.
The series will debut Christmas 2026 on HBO and will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max in the UK & Ireland.
Nicholas Hoult fans say damage is done despite him quitting Harry Potter: ‘Still icky’
An earlier version of this story wrongly stated that JK Rowling had been ‘engaged in Holocaust denial’. This follows claims in March 2024 when Ms Rowling was accused on X of denying aspects of the Holocaust, an allegation which she strenuously denied. The allegation has been removed and Metro apologises for the error.
Nicholas Hoult’s brief stint as an announced cast member for the Harry Potter TV series doesn’t appear to be easily forgotten by fans.
The news of the former Skins star’s casting in the second season of HBO’s adaptation as Professor Lockhart prompted an outcry earlier this month.
While some take issue with yet another reboot, there are calls to boycott the series over author JK Rowling’s repeated criticism of the transgender community.
Days after his name was revealed, it was announced that Hoult wouldn’t be the conman author-turned-Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher after all, due to ‘scheduling conflicts’.
Instead, Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington will return to the role after voicing Lockhart, a character who was originally played on screen by Kenneth Branagh, in a recent audio series.
Unfortunately for Hoult, his willingness to participate has been enough for fans to write him off as someone who does not stand with the LGBTQ+ community.
Hoult himself has not yet spoken out on his exit, but some fans are calling for an apology to the trans community.
‘Citing “scheduling conflicts” and not the eighteen elephants in the room is such coward s**t,’ wrote CookieBaBaYT on X.
Phione_V2 added: ‘Sucks to see so many people jumping at this pitiful part in an evil show, Hoult, you are not forgiven!’
Oconnorist said: ‘Nicholas Hoult chalking it up to “scheduling conflicts” is so lame and cowardly. Making a statement and apologising is the only way to come across as even remotely genuine.’
‘Interesting to point out that Nicholas Hoult isn’t out of it bc of backlash; it’s merely scheduling conflicts. So that’s still icky,’ said esotericmagic.
‘Scheduling issues?’ questioned Maxin_fire. ‘If Nicholas Hoult wants his fans to forgive him, he has to release an actual statement about learning his lesson on why he shouldn’t work in that project, and that’s why he dropped it and not because of “scheduling issues”. If not, it’s just the same thing.’
Another account, 42andBlue said Hoult had ‘destroyed all the good will’ he had built over his 20-year career ‘for nothing’.
For many trans people and allies, joining the franchise is seen as an endorsement of – or at least ambivalence towards – Rowling’s views.
For almost a decade now, the author has been accused of being transphobic due to comments such as ‘trans girls aren’t real girls’.
She has misgendered people (including boxer Imane Khelif) and previously claimed that trans youth education was ‘more harmful than lobotomies’.
In 2025, she announced the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund, which ‘offers legal funding support to individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights in the workplace, in public life and in protected female spaces.’
As part of this, Rowling donated £70,000 to For Women Scotland’s legal fees, the campaign group pushing for the Scottish law to exclude trans women from the legal definition of ‘woman’.
The author’s views have become intrinsically linked to continued support of the franchise, largely as it funds her ability to back campaigns such as the Scottish one.
While defending his decision to play Dumbledore, John Lithgow claimed she was ‘not really involved’ in this series, although she is listed as an executive producer.
Regardless of her hands-on or off approach, the Potter author is set to earn an estimated $20 million (£16 million) per year from HBO’s series.
Hoult has not yet spoken out about the backlash or his swift exit from the franchise.
Meanwhile, self-professed Potterhead Harington, 39, has said he fell in love with the books as a child and has re-read them several times since.
He previously told Variety that taking on the role of Lockhart for the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets audiobook was an easy decision.
‘It was a really simple yes, because I love the character,’ he said. ‘As far as cameos in a series go, you don’t get much more entertaining and fun to do as an actor than Gilderoy Lockhart. It was a no-brainer.’
Filming for the second season of Harry Potter is expected to start this autumn, while the first season will be released on HBO and HBO Max on Christmas Day.
But the criticism around the show doesn’t show any sign of slowing down, with several of the actors involved facing questions about their stance on trans rights as a result.
Lithgow, who starred alongside a trans child in the project before this, said he finds Rowling’s views ‘ironic and inexplicable.’
Bel Powley, who will play Aunt Petunia, shared her support for trans people but maintained that she ‘loves Harry Potter’, which attracted criticism.
The actress told the Telegraph that she ‘strongly disagrees with Rowling’s views on gender’.
She said: ‘I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance. But, I love Harry Potter.
‘I grew up with the books. I am from that first generation of readers and, again, I love magic and spookiness.’
Meanwhile, original stars Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) have condemned Rowling’s comments and have not returned to the franchise.
2026-09-03T10:10:27Z
