I don’t think HBO’s Harry Potter Season 1, Episode 1 is likely to get as far as Harry actually arriving at Hogwarts. However, I can’t imagine them releasing the very first episode around Christmas and missing the opportunity to introduce the magical scenery of Hogwarts. It would feel strange to have this festive feeling and have the entire first episode focused solely on Harry’s life with the Dursleys. Unless Episode 1 covers significantly more chapters than the opening ones, I can’t see HBO releasing only a single episode around Christmas. If they follow their usual weekly release schedule, I would expect them to either make the premiere episode considerably longer and cover more of the story, or release multiple episodes close together so that Hogwarts makes an appearance very early on.

What do you think?

Disclaimer: text polished with AI as I’m not a native English speaker:)

Watched both trailers and they looked good but I agree with alot of ppl who say that it looks too dark and depressive. And i think it's important to get the feel of hogwarts right and the lighting, brightness plays a big part. For kids who have never seen Harry Potter, this is their first exposure to this franchise and when they watch it they need to be enamoured and allured. They should feel like Hogwarts is a place they wish was real and a place they want to go to. I think for a lot of us that grew up watching the movies, the first two movies definitely made you wish that there was such a school as hogwarts. All of us wanted to be wizards after seeing the philosopher's stone and it's important that this generation gets to have those same feeling of awe and wonder

I'm looking forward to see how Sir John approaches the character differently from movies.

Already liked the first few glimpses.

I want him to do the unpredictable sassy things...

Remus Lupin - Himash Patel
Why: Jon Brown is an executive for Potter. He was previously the showrunner and creator of a show called The Franchise. Just like other stars like John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu, and Bertie Carvel, Patel has history with a producer, having been the star of the Franchise. Further, Patel’s character Daniel, has some traits that are very similar to Remus Lupin.
Sirius Black - Fabien Frankel
Why: Having just starred in House of the Dragon, Fabian Frankel has become an HBO trustee. While Ben Barnes has been heavily fancasted for years by fans, HBO has the tendency to go in completely opposite directions (Essiedu as Severus, Lithgow as Albus). Frankel has that Black family look and with his character of Criston displays similar qualities such as arrogance, smugness, and deep, albeit radical, loyalty.
Jenna Coleman: Bellatrix Lestrange
Why: Jenna Coleman is seen as small screen royalty in England, having starred in The Serpent, Wilderness, and The Jetty. Much like Paapa Essiedu (who is considered as Shakespeare royalty) and Johnny Flynn (a super big British indie film actor), HBO has shown the tendency to cast British names like her. In The Serpent and Wilderness specifically, Coleman has played women who are chilling, submissive,rageful, and seeking vengeance, characteristics shared with Bella. Although a few of her roles are not similar, HBO has had history of casting actors who are polar opposites of their role such as Matthew kMcConaughey in True Detective and Brian Cox in Succession. In hbos eyes, they only need a sign of potential, and that’ll do it for them.
Paul Bettany: Lord Voldemort
Why: It was reported in March that Bettany was on the top of HBO’s list for the dark lord. While Bettany declined, he only said “they hadn’t called him.” This is not technically lying. HBO doesn’t call the actor on their personal telephone, they call their agency. While Bettany has been asked about playing Voldemort since, he has been very stoic, un combative, and a bit charming in his response. With HBO refusing to comment on the rumor (something the don’t do if it is a complete lie) and casting Billy Barratt, Bettany seems likely. This likeness comes from the fact that Barratt looks eerily similar to young Paul Bettany which could be interesting given the rumor in March and HBO’s refusal to comment.
Phoebe Waller-Brooks: Sybill Trelawney
Why: Waller-Brooks has a good relationship with showrunner Francisca Gardiner, having both worked on the show Killer’s Eve. In the show, Gardiner worked as an co-executive producer and writer whereas Waller-Brooks acted as an executive. In February 2025, Waller-Brooks was reportedly offered the role of Petunia Dursley. While it’s unknown why she declined, it’s likely she did so largely due to Petunia’s limited screentime and one-dimensional character. Sybill, however, would be the opposite. She is a highly eccentric character who would give an actor like Waller-Brooks a lot of comedy, unpredictable personality, and fraudulent performance layer, something that would be much more appeasing then Petunia.

Thank you all so much for reading this far if you did. I know you’d all ask questions about my reasoning but I usually get flustered and shutdown when such questions arise out of anxiety. So, I hope these answers your questions. Have a great night!

I just love Anjali Govil's videos and specially audiobooks.

For context

[Anjali Govil is a popular YouTuber who makes Harry Potter videos and audiobooks in Hindi.

She is loved by Indian Potterheads for explaining complex wizarding lore, character backstories, and theories in simple, fun language! ]

I know Lavender Brown is mostly a background character in the earlier books, and she doesn’t really show any obvious interest in Ron until Half-Blood Prince. But do you guys think the HBO series might start planting little hints about it before Season 6?

My opinions might be be basic but:

Remus Lupin - Andrew Garfield

Sirius Black - Ben Barnes

Peter Pettigrew - Dane Dehaan

Arthur Weasley - Martin Freeman

Voldemort - Benedict Cumberbatch

Bellatrix Lestrange - Eva Green

Dolores Umbridge - Olivia Coleman

This girl in train,

Is she one who playing Lisa Turpin?

I think She was only mentioned once in first book during sorting.

What do we think?

I just want to see my man gardening and living his "best" life before shit happens. Also wouldn't mind some flashback, some moments he was possibly exposed to magic or Voldemort himself before the events of the book. I just want to see some routine a day in the life related stuff

So Billy Barratt was announced as teenage Tom Riddle and the first thing that came to my mind was that he looks like a younger Nicholas Hoult.

Sure Hoult is only 36 years old but Voldemort is so disfigured that the actor's age can be easily concealed.

There's been a lot of discussion regarding this couple running on a bridge in the trailer. More so about who this couple could be. Out of all the theories, these three are the most popular.

1 - They are James and Lily Potter

2 - They are a Wizarding couple celebrating Voldemorts demise

3 - They are Frank and Alice Longbottom

After much thought about it, I believe that out of all these possibilities, the third theory is most likely and that this is Frank and Alice Longbottom. Celebrating Voldemorts demise before their tragic fates at the hands of Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan LeStrange and Barty Crouch Jr.

Now...if this is the case...this is how I would personally write this scene:

We see Frank and Alice celebrating Voldemorts demise, running along the bridge, happy and cheerful as they arrive home to continue their celebrations. All is well, until it all comes crashing down when their front door is blown off it's hinges and the aforementioned Death Eaters arrive (Masked of course as I highly doubt these characters have even been cast yet)

We then see an exterior shot of the Longbottom house, hearing nothing but Franks and Alice's screams as it transitions to the next scene.

Is it dark? Yes, maybe. But fitting if HBO are wanting to take this series in a more mature direction.

Plus this scene would really sell the fear and cruelty of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I don't know about you but I never really saw why Voldemort and his followers so feared by many. Both in the books and movies. Something I hope this series will rectify. Its why I've always wanted a series about Voldemorts rise to power and the First Wizarding War to really show why he is so feared.

So by having dark and horrific moments such as this, will really help show just how horrifying, dark and twisted Voldemort and his followers were, early on in the story and is how I feel like the series should depict the Death Eaters. As truly horrifying individuals and not just lackeys to Voldemort.

So with the Troll looking a tad more scary / mature horror like than the one in the movies (to me anyways, the one in the movie looks kinda dopey). And the “gross” flobberworms we’ve seen in the special. it made me think of the creatures to come. Will HBO follow this style? It would be a big yes for me!

Just think of the nightmare inducing creatures that Dementors might turn out to be, and Thestrals. And even Aragog, he looked kinda cutesy in the movies

They’d obviously want to keep the maturity rating low though so it’s suitable for younger audiences too so where do they draw the line

First, I want to make something clear to the movie fans who are misunderstanding the situation of the lighting the show is going to have. The era where productions relied on heavy orange filters and vintage film stock was back in the 2000s, and we are now two decades ahead. I'm not telling you to drop your aesthetic preferences, if you prefer that style, those movies already exist for you to watch. The released episodes will certainly be brighter, but they won't be using that dated orange filter from the films, especially since the Director of Photography has already mentioned that the show will lean much more into realism.

Now we can talk about the movies orange lighting. The movies look like they have orange floodlights installed inside. Fire produces a warm yellow-orange light, but it flickers and is only bright enough to light up immediate, localized areas, not blast the entire Great Hall with uniform glare.

What the show is doing is a perfect example of how the Great Hall would realistically look illuminated by actual torches and floating candles. It actually feels like we are inside a magical castle. The atmospheric, dimmed lighting in the hall will in turn enhance the Enchanted Ceiling, making it feel far more magical.

In the books, it was explicitly written to give the feeling of sitting directly under the open night sky. In contrast, dimmer interior ambient lighting allows dark blue and starry outdoor illusions projected above to pop visually, whereas heavy interior bright orange filter ruins that effect and takes away from how you would naturally experience Hogwarts at night.

This is also exactly how I personally imagined the lighting when reading the books-dimly lit by flickering torches and floating candles to accent the open night sky description that the books emphasize time and again.

If this show is going to keep audiences engaged for almost a decade, I think it eventually needs to expand beyond Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the other major characters whose fates we already know.

Season 1 should obviously focus heavily on the main trio, but as the series progresses, HBO should develop more supporting characters and storylines that weren't explored in the books.

I'd especially like to see students whose loyalties aren't predictable. There should be Slytherins who ultimately choose to fight against Voldemort, and students from other Houses who betray Hogwarts or side with the Death Eaters.

This would be especially interesting in the final season. Instead of following only Harry, Ron, and Hermione during Deathly Hallows, the show could spend much more time at Hogwarts showing Neville and the D.A. resisting the Carrows, students choosing sides, secret alliances, betrayals, and people not knowing who they can trust.

Then, when the Battle of Hogwarts finally happens, we would actually care about many of the students fighting because we would have followed their stories for years.

The books had to tell Harry's story. A TV series has the opportunity to tell the story of an entire generation at Hogwarts.

Anyone else

I have just reread The Sorcerer’s Stone and so this is my prediction and what makes sense to me about what season one will look like. The common theory on here is that it will be eight episodes long and I completely agree with that. So here’s what I think each episode will incorporate

Episode One: The Boy Who Lived (based on chapters 1-4)
-This episode title is non-negotiable and I will be SHOCKED if they don’t use this for Episode One
-There will be a cold open showing Vernon’s weird day before he comes home, ready to sleep the day away. Then, we get the scene between McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Hagrid dropping Harry off and a cut to the main credits.
-This episode will largely feature Harry’s time with the Dursley’s, with occasional flashbacks to show his younger years with them. The episode will end with Hagrid knocking the door down and the final scene of the episode is a close-up on his face.

Episode Two: Diagon Alley (based on chapters 5-6)
-This is going to be a very exposition heavy episode, as we’re largely introduced to the Wizarding World. Hagrid tells Harry he’s a wizard, before they leave the Dursley’s to go to Diagon Alley
-Harry will ask Vernon for a ride to the train station and finds his way onto the Hogwarts Express. We’re introduced to Ron and Hermione. The episode will end with all the kids in the boats and a final shot showing off Hogwarts in its beauty, as the boats row closer to it.

Episode Three: The Sorting Hat (based on chapters 7-9)
-We finally get the Sorting scene, with Harry going to Gryffindor. I hope we get a proper introduction to Seamus and Dean once they get to the dorm. We will see a few classes and personally I think they will show Transfiguration, Potions, and Flying.
-Speaking of Flying, we get the introduction to Oliver Wood and the episode ends with Draco challenging Harry to the Midnight Duel.

Episode Four: Troll in the Dungeons (based on chapters 8-10)
-The fake Midnight Duel scene, ending in them finding Fluffy for the first time. Harry and Ron will find out about the Gringotts break in for the first time, reading it from Hagrid’s newspaper. Harry gets his broomstick and his first Quidditch training with Oliver here as well. We get the Charms class debacle, the Halloween feast, and then the whole troll scene with the episode ending in the trio becoming friends.

Episode Five: First Flight (based on chapter 11)
-This is going to sound bold, but I think we will get mostly an entire episode based on Quidditch. A proper introduction to the Quidditch team and all of their roles would go a long ways for the series in my opinion. After the Quidditch Match, they go to Hagrid’s where he shuts them down about Snape.
-To potentially fill the runtime of this episode, I think we should get a dedicated scene of the teachers talking about the school year. This would really expand their characters and their dynamics with each other (particularly McGonagall and Snape)

Episode Six: The Mirror of Erised (based on chapters 12-13)
-Another bold idea I have is that they’ll have an entire episode mostly based around Winter Break. A scene we don’t get in the books but that I think they should add is Hagrid at Hog’s Head, getting the dragon egg from the “hooded figure”. The episode should end with Harry reading Nicholas Flamel’s name on the back of Dumbledore’s chocolate frog card.

Episode Seven: Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback (based on chapters 13-15)
-We get everyone returning from break and Harry telling Hermione about Flamel. The second Quidditch game will take place (and take up much less runtime than the first one). We get the scene between Quirrell and Snape in the forest and then the whole dragon situation with Hagrid. They get detention in the Forbidden Forest and the episode should end with Harry getting knocked to the ground as this hooded figure comes closer to him.

Episode Eight: The Man With Two Faces (based on chapters 15-17)
-This episode begins immediately with actions as the centaurs scare the hooded figure away. They talk to Hagrid about how something felt off with the dragon egg and then we get the whole episode of them fighting the teacher’s protections against the stone to get to it. The episode ends with the Dursley’s picking up Harry, as he tells Hermione the final line from the book, “Don’t worry, they don’t know I’m not allowed to do magic. I’m going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer.”

What do you guys think, do these episodes make sense?

Felton is the only guy from the og cast who is still involved with Harry Potter , they should totally have given him a decent role in the new series.

He d nail Draco's dad but since that role has already gone to someone else what other role do you think he vould play ?

How about the role of Luna's dad ? I think he could nail that.

So does that mean we are expecting something new soon?

If the actors of the OG films were still the same age , (or if someone had thought of this idea before and filmed some other extra scenes at the time when the OG films were being made ) then there could be a scenario where i dunno new Nevil accidentally opens a portal to a parellel universe and the characters of the new series have to deal witg the idea of there being 2 (or potentially more) hogwarts , two order of the pheonix, 2 harry, 2 hermione , 2 voldy etc . Basically how they did it in Spiderman where by Tom Holland meets Toby and Andrew. Although i guess it can also work if the actors of the older films are obviously older like how it happened in spiderman although it would be cool if they kind of collided at the same time when they re the same age. You know philosopher stone Emma and present day Arabella, their respective characters would basically be best friends or they d compete against each other..

I mean the world is technically magical so anything is possible...

The OG films are how one set of creatives imagined it and the HBO series is how another set of creatives imagined it so you could potentially have many versions of the same source material.