For fans still waiting for their Hogwarts letter, we have some good news: On Christmas Day, Harry, Hermione, and Ron will return to the screen for HBO Max’s highly anticipated adaptation of the beloved books by J. K. Rowling.
In the first trailer for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the all-new cast is introduced with Dominic McLaughlin stepping into the role of Harry alongside Arabella Stanton playing Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The three soon-to-be best friends collide as wide-eyed 11-year-olds on the Hogwarts Express. The video also offers sneak peeks at some of the most iconic moments from the book including Harry meeting the half-giant Hagrid (Nick Frost), crossing the magically concealed Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station, putting on the Sorting Hat, stepping onto the Quidditch pitch as Gryffindor’s seeker, and tons more scenes likely to conjure up feelings of nostalgia for longtime fans of the novels and previous films.
The two-minute teaser also features John Lithgow as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape. HBO has planned to film and run seven seasons, one for each of the seven Harry Potter books. Rowling serves as an executive producer on the project.
The author has angered both the public and previous Potter stars in recent years for her outspoken anti-trans rhetoric. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Potter in the movies (2001-2011), said that Rowling’s rhetoric “makes [him] really sad.” Emma Watson, the films’ Granger, said that a conversation with Rowling about her beliefs “was never made possible.” And Keira Knightley, who was cast for an audiobook edition of the Harry Potter books, said she was unaware of Rowling’s views, asking that everyone find respect for one another
Aware of the backlash, HBO’s chief content officer Casey Bloys discussed the series’ content on a podcast in May last year. “It’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views,” Bloys said. “She’s entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.”
