WATCH: 'Harry Potter' TV series drops official trailer
Potterheads, get your wands ready. The Boy Who Lived is almost set for his TV debut.
HBO Max just released the official teaser for its new original series Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on Thursday, March 26.
Like the eight Harry Potter movies, the HBO series will be based on JK Rowling's seven-book creation. Each season will be based on one of the novels: Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows.
Fans of the movies, which starred Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as Hermione, and Rupert Grint as Ron, will be familiar with the storyline in the teaser. It begins with Harry's traumatic non-magic—"muggle"—world, then flows into the sphere of wizards with images undoubtedly familiar to close followers of the movies and books: the Hogwarts Express train, which takes Harry to his magical school Hogwarts, the game of Quidditch, and the Sorting Hat.
Save for Warwick Davis, who is reprising his role as Professor Filius Flitwick, the series has a completely new cast. John Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu will portray Severus Snape, Oscar nominee Janet McTeer will play Professor McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
According to Variety, Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, with his company Bleeding Fingers Music, will be composing the series' original score.
Fans will need to manage their expectations on the release schedule of each season. In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, shared that the series will not release seasons yearly.
"For some of the bigger shows like Harry Potter or House of the Dragon or The Last of Us, huge world-building shows, it would be nice to have those on an annual basis. But from a production point of view, it’s just not possible. It’s not that everybody involved is just taking their time and sitting around. These shows are complicated to do," Bloys said.
Starring newcomers Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone starts streaming in December 2026.
