HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Season 1 Trailer Teases A Darker, Serious Tone

Harry Potter is getting bullied at school, harassed by his uncle and aunt, and also gets his hair pruned forcefully. These are among the first glimpses of the new Harry Potter series at HBO when they revealed its first trailer. The first season, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, based on the first book, will arrive during Christmas 2026. The trailer gives us a new look at almost every character from this season that includes, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Hagrid, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and others.

The trailer opens with segments of music followed immediately by Uncle Vernon Dursley scolding Harry, "I told you. You are a normal boy. And you're going to start acting like one. You think you're something special. There is nothing special about you." This is followed by Harry saying he has always wanted to know about his parents, then a warm reply describing his parents as the kindest, bravest, funniest, and cleverest people who stood up for what they believed was right. Later lines include a reference to the next meeting being at Hogwarts, an address of “Mr. Potter,” a statement of high expectations for him, and a line about discovering who he is. The trailer ends with Harry, Hermione, and Ron meeting for the first time on the train as Ron asks, “Are you really Harry Potter?”

In the series, Harry Potter is unremarkable, according to his Aunt Petunia. On his eleventh birthday, Harry receives a letter of admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, revealing a hidden world of fun, friendship, and magic. However, with this new adventure comes enormous peril, as Harry is forced to confront a terrifying enemy from his past.

The complete cast of the series includes:

Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall
Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid
Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom
Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy
Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan
Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas
Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley
Gabriel Harland as George Weasley
Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley
Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil
Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown
Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe
William Nash as Gregory Goyle
Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick
and Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout.
Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley
Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley
Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch
Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy
Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge
Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell
Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley
Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley
Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley
Richard Durden as Cuthbert Binns
Louise Brealey as Rolanda Hooch
Bríd Brennan as Poppy Pomfrey
Leigh Gill as Griphook
Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander

The series, based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved books, is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.