HBO Reveals First Harry Potter Series Trailer, Casts Dominic McLaughlin as Young Harry

Daniel Radcliffe made headlines this week by saying he suspected his successor would surpass him in the role he made famous. "I'm sure Dominic is going to be better than me," Radcliffe said of newcomer Dominic McLaughlin, who HBO officially cast as Harry Potter in its long-anticipated television reboot.

HBO released the first teaser trailer for the series on March 25, revealing the show will debut for Christmas 2026. The eight-episode opening series bears the name of the original novel: "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." The premiere date catches many observers off guard: the series had originally been expected sometime in 2027, making the Christmas Day 2026 launch an earlier-than-anticipated arrival.

The trailer was revealed at an HBO Max UK launch event staged inside a recreation of "The Cupboard Under The Stairs." The two-minute video dropped on Wednesday ahead of the launch of the HBO Max UK and Ireland streaming service. On Tuesday, the official Harry Potter Instagram account had posted a first official photo of McLaughlin in his Gryffindor cloak on a snow-covered Hogwarts grounds, captioned simply "Tomorrow ⚡️."

The trailer opens with Harry living in his cupboard under the stairs at the Dursleys' home, bullied by his cousin Dudley and subjected to a haircut by Aunt Petunia, who tells him he is not special, until his Hogwarts acceptance letter arrives. It then shows Hagrid explaining the wizarding world to Harry and teasing details about his deceased parents. In one exchange, Hagrid tells Potter: "Your parents were the bravest, kindest people I've ever met ... they stood up for what they think is right. Next time I see you will be in Hogwarts." The series also introduces new sequences not previously depicted on screen, including Harry at a Muggle school and Hagrid ferrying him across London on the Underground.

More than 30,000 hopefuls auditioned for the young lead roles before HBO settled on McLaughlin. McLaughlin leads a trio that includes Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The adult ensemble is considerably more established. John Lithgow plays Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer appears as Professor Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost takes on Rubeus Hagrid. Paapa Essiedu, best known for his role in "I May Destroy You," plays Professor Severus Snape.

Behind the camera, showrunner Francesca Gardiner leads the creative team, with "Succession" director Mark Mylod directing multiple episodes. J.K. Rowling serves as executive producer alongside Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films. HBO & Max Content chairman and CEO Casey Bloys has said the adaptation would allow for a "deep dive into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years."

Like the original film series, the production is being shot primarily at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire. Actors signed on to the project are committed for up to 10 years, with the plan to adapt one of Rowling's seven novels per season. The first novel was previously brought to the screen by director Chris Columbus in 2001, as part of a film franchise that ultimately stretched across eight features.

The series will air on HBO and stream on HBO Max. HBO has not confirmed per-episode costs, though some reports have suggested a figure of $100 million per episode, which, if accurate, would far exceed the estimated $1.2 billion spent on the entire original film franchise and would represent the most expensive television production ever made.