The first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated and hotly debated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone series has dropped. The show is based on the classic book series by the controversial J.K. Rowling, whose anti-transgender rhetoric has cast a pall over the production, with many critics wondering if the series was even necessary, given the existence of eight feature films adapting the material and a general reticence to support views that are largely considered to be abhorrent. These views even led actor John Lithgow, who portrays Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, to nearly quit the production, stating that the controversy would come up “in every interview I will ever do for the rest of my life.”
Despite the contention, HBO has greenlit seven seasons, to be filmed over the next ten years, which are meant to be a more faithful retelling of the series than the films, which while generally well-received, do make omissions in the source material that some fans have long hoped would be rectified. The trailer, released today on HBO Max’s YouTube channel, gives a glimpse of what can be expected when the series debuts on December 25, 2026.
It begins with a voiceover by Petunia Dursely (Bel Powley) over a montage of a young Harry (Dominic McLaughlin) being tormented at both school and home. While the original novel of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone doesn’t go into a great deal of detail of Harry’s time in non-magical school, it seems the television series is looking to flesh things out in the same way the films condensed them.
The teaser trailer continues with Harry and Hagrid (Nick Frost) on a train, Hagrid providing a little bit of information about Harry’s parents, somewhat similarly to the first film. Viewers are then treated to views of the Hogwarts Express and the school itself, the Sorting Hat, and Harry’s fellow students including Ron Weasley (Alastair Stout), Hermione Granger (Arabella Stanton), and Draco Malfoy (Lox Pratt).
The teachers are also highlighted, including Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Lithgow as Dumbledore, and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. Essiedu was unfortunately the target of hateful racism over his casting as the mercurial Potions Professor, a role previously played by the late Alan Rickman, adding to the online fervor surrounding the production.
With a release date earlier than anticipated, and hoards of both current and former fans waiting to see how the Boy Who Lived is once again reborn, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will soon prove whether it is worth its salt.
Watch the teaser trailer here:
