'Harry Potter' TV series gets magical trailer and release date
Published in Entertainment News
The boy who lived is back.
HBO on Wednesday revealed the release date and trailer for its new "Harry Potter" series, offering the first glimpse into the new version of Hogwarts, the fictional school for young wizards and witches. The show will premiere on HBO Max on Christmas Day.
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner, was initially set to debut in 2027. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes. The show is intended to be a "faithful adaptation" of author J.K. Rowling's popular book series, Warner Bros. Discovery said in 2023 when announcing the series. Rowling will also serve as an executive producer.
The trailer opens with Harry being shoved into his "bedroom" — a dark cupboard in the Dursley family home — and shows him being bullied by his spoiled cousin Dudley Dursley.
"You think you're something special? There is nothing special about you," Aunt Petunia tells Harry as she gives him a painful haircut with kitchen scissors.
Not for long — Harry soon receives the fateful letter inviting him to attend Hogwarts. The trailer then cuts to the boy meeting Hogwarts groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid and traveling on the London Underground and Hogwarts Express.
A montage shows Harry arriving at the magical school, receiving his wand and Nimbus broom and meeting his new classmates, including Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
In an effort to introduce the "Harry Potter" franchise to younger audiences, the reboot will feature a new cast, with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
Other cast members include John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Essiedu told the Sunday Times in a recent interview that he has received racist abuse, including death threats, since being cast as Snape, the secretive potions professor originally played by the late Alan Rickman.
"We anticipated there would be a lot of interest in all of [the cast], and interest can tip over into more unpleasant and aggressive behavior," HBO Chairman Casey Bloys told Deadline. "We talked to them about what to expect ... but any kind of security that's needed is an unfortunate aspect of doing IP shows. We just try to be mindful and monitor it."
A decade ago, Noma Dumezweni was subjected to similar racist backlash when she was hired as adult Hermione Granger in the West End production of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
Hans Zimmer and Bleeding Fingers Music, the composer collective he founded, will compose a new score for the series.
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