HBO Harry Potter series trailer!

[Hogwartsian]

I can't see any other threads about this somehow. The first trailer was released this evening for the new HBO Harry Potter series. I am buzzing with excitement! What do you think of it?

I like the way new snape looks. I have no issue with casting black actors in major roles but I was worried they would change snape's look and remove his lank long hair but they have made it work I think. The actor is very good so I am looking forward to his interpretation.

The thing I am most looking forward to is them hopefully getting Hermione right.

Hermione in the films has absolutely no flaws and is more powerful than Dumbledore.

Hermione in the books is so much more interesting for being flawed. And the dynamic with Harry and Ron is very different for that

I am really looking forward to this as someone who read the books before seeing the films, so really missed all the details and plot lines that couldn’t fit into a movie. The trailer does feel a bit ‘uncanny valley’ especially with the different actors, I also loved the iconic music score in the films and it feels a bit wrong without it. Still can’t wait though!

It felt really disorientating watching the trailer. It looked so similar but with different people and I was almost expecting it to be a parody. It felt like that for Hagrid in particular and also
McGonagall. I didn’t feel it so much for the kids weirdly.

I cant decide what I think. Maybe it makes me uneasy because it makes me feel old. 😂

I think the trio will be brilliant.

ooh it looks great - will really enjoy this at Christmas

This will be a real Christmas treat, although the pre-Hogwarts scenes do look quite tough to watch.

True but from the trailer it looks as though we’ll be getting the scenes of Harry’s unexplained magic pre-hogwarts- his hair repeatedly growing back despite petunia cutting it, and inexplicably ending up on the school roof after being cornered by Dudley and his gang 😃

My son's friend is in it's, and she even made it into the trailer - there is much excitement in their friendship group.

I hope its successful so they make prequels about The Marauders

It looks great, but I still think the casting for Snape is off.

I agree. I’m also getting tired of seeing the actor popping up almost everywhere.

Unfortunately, yes, I agree. I'm sure he's a brilliant actor, but the look is so completely wrong and takes me right out of it. Everyone else is perfectly cast, so why they decided to go so opposite to the book description of Snape is odd.

I totally agree, I also think its going to change how the tensions between the Marauders and Snape are perceived.

It looks SO good!!

DD has just pointed that out to me as well - now James is not only a dickhead bully as a teenager, he’s now a racist dickhead bully, and so are Sirius and Lupin.

It makes me very uncomfortable tbh.

James Potter has now taken a black school mate and hung him upside down in a tree amongst other things.
He and his popular friends bullied Snape at school.
And Harry hates him inexplicably on first sight and thinks he is a thief.

It just changes the dynamics of their relationship and I can't imagine why they have done it.

If they wanted a more central non white character there were so many others that cold have race swapped without all of the baggage of Snape's.

Interestingly I read somewhere that the books were written for children and this seems much more aimed at adults and I can kind of see that.
The people who were children when the books came out are all grown up.

I am finding some of the characters in the previews a good representation of the book characters but others not so much.

Trying to keep an open mind because some does look interesting.

Have they announced casting for Lupin and Sirius yet? Maybe they will also be non-white actors to try and offset this sort of dynamic 🤔

No. They’re still filming the first series (based on the first book) so perhaps those characters haven’t been cast yet.

Ah in that case I’ll be very surprised if we end up with all white marauders, as others have pointed out it would add a different dynamic to the bullying and make the tree scene in particular VERY uncomfortable 😳

Oh that trailer gave me goosebumps, I’ll definitely be paying for HBO at Christmas!

Loved the last scene with Ron in the train. I think the youngsters are going to do brilliantly.

I sadly agree with the comments about Snape and it adding a dimension of racism and changes the dynamic. I think any of the characters could be played by black actors apart from Ron, Snape and possibly harry.
I am looking forward to it and hope peeves appears and more of the storyline in the book (especially goblet of fire)

I think it looks great, we're big HP fans here, both books and movies and so looking forward to seeing the series also. 9 year old DS is so excited, he's already planning St Stephens Day( Boxing Day in UK) will be spent bingeing it.

I liked how the age of the casts seems to match the characters better. I always thought the dursleys looked too old, they were supposed to be in their thirties!

I think it will be exciting, it's something for a new generation to grow up with, I grew up with the harry potter movies and it's a hard pill to swallow that there's a next generation these characters are for.
They had some absolute greats for the movies (Maggie smith, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman) but a TV show can explore so much more that the movies weren't able to.
I think it will do well and after a season or two I think people won't compare with the movies too much (unless it's the back in my day everything was better brigade)
It's definitely going to be the talking point of Christmas 2026, we might be revisiting this thread to discuss.