Harry Potter TV series unveils first look – with trailer coming very soon

Harry Potter fans have officially been given a first look at the upcoming TV series, with a teaser trailer promised imminently.

The newly-released image from the HBO series, which will reimagine JK Rowling's novels, shows Dominic McLaughlin's Boy Wizard, clad in red robes, headed towards the Hogwarts quidditch pitch with his broomstick in hand.

Gryffindor and Hufflepuff banners can be seen hanging in front of him (along with a poster emblazoned with the names of Ron Weasley's twin brothers, Fred and George), with snow lightly falling on the Hogwarts grounds.

The official Harry Potter social media accounts, which shared the image, have also announced a teaser trailer coming on 25 March.

McLaughlin will be joined by Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Meanwhile, John Lithgow will take on the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore, with Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.

It's been confirmed that the series will also feature characters cut from the iconic film series, including Professor Cuthbert Binns (played by Richard Durden), and the poltergeist Peeves (whose casting has not been announced).

Director Chris Columbus, who helmed the first two movies, previously told Radio Times his hopes for the series including elements from the books that he did not have time for in the films.

He said: "There was so much we couldn't put in the films – they weren’t short, they were over two and a half hours long, but I still struggled. It still keeps me up at night sometimes.”

Specifically, he shared: “I missed the fact that I was never able to put Peeves in the first film.”

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.

Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.

In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.

Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.

The Harry Potter TV series will premiere in early 2027 on HBO Max.

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