Technically, ‘Back To Hogwarts’ day was September 1. Except, someone must have missed the memo – because it’s on September 2 that we’ve got our latest look at HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, re-adapting the books in episodic form. The show is going back to the beginning, starting with a retelling of The Philosopher’s Stone, and the latest trailer shows off more of what looks to be a very faithful adaptation. Check it out here:
This is our most comprehensive look yet at what showrunner Francesca Gardiner has been cooking up – leaning heavily into the iconography established in the Potter films (which were themselves very faithful to the source material), but expanded with more material that was excised in adaptation. And we see plenty more of the show’s version of Hogwarts, several teachers – including Paapa Essiedu’s Severus Snape, Janet McTeer’s Minerva McGonagall, and John Lithgow’s Dumbledore – some Quidditch action (in first-person), and how the film will visually represent magic. And it’s all anchored by the new trio: Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Alastair Stout as Ron, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione.
There are some hints of new material here; it looks like we’ll see Ron get his Hogwarts letter, when previously we’ve only been introduced to Harry’s best friend once they reach the Hogwarts Express. We should be getting more classroom action too, since the films largely skipped over Harry and co’s lessons. And there’s an ominous conversation between McGonagall and Dumbledore hinting at the inevitability of Lord Voldemort’s eventual return. While the books largely keep Harry as their point-of-view character, it seems the show might break outside of that format too.
We’ll find out more when Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone begins streaming on HBO Max this Christmas.
