HBO drops brand-new Harry Potter trailer and fans are all saying the same thing
For some Harry Potter fans, the hardest part of HBO's reboot may not be seeing a 'new' Hogwarts, but seeing different actors in the iconic roles of the characters.
The first full teaser for HBO's new Harry Potter series has arrived, giving viewers a close look at Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
But while the trailer showcases a new take on the Wizarding World, comments from fans on X have focused on one major sticking point - the original cast do not feature.
One viewer wrote: "Harry Potter without the original cast just feels wrong."
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While another said: "I grew up with HP, so seeing new faces tell the same story is hard to accept."
The reaction comes as the new series attempts to revisit a story millions of people already know, this time with a fresh cast and more room to explore the events of JK Rowling’s books.
Check out the official teaser trailer:
Who is in the new HBO Harry Potter?
The new trio is led by McLaughlin as Harry, Stout as Ron and Stanton as Hermione.
They are joined by a collection of established actors taking over roles previously made famous by the original movies.
John Lithgow plays Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer is Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu takes on Severus Snape and Nick Frost plays Rubeus Hagrid.
The wider cast includes Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley and Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom.
Warwick Davis is also returning to Hogwarts, this time as Professor Filius Flitwick.
Following a sneak peek which was released earlier this year, the new trailer gives viewers a more substantial look at several of the cast in action, including McLaughlin’s Harry, who is shown growing up with the Dursleys, as well as Stanton’s Hermione, Stout’s Ron, Lithgow’s Dumbledore, McTeer’s McGonagall and Essiedu’s Snape.
There are also glimpses of Hogwarts and other familiar parts of the story, such as the Sorting Hat, Quidditch matches, and the Invisibility Cloak, while the series appears willing to spend more time on material that was not shown in the 2001 movie adaptation.
What do fans think of the new Harry Potter trailer?
The response on X has been mixed, with several viewers comparing the new footage unfavorably with the original movies.
"It's better than the last trailer but…nah, doesn’t look anywhere near as good as the movies," one person wrote, claiming that it looked 'like a generic Netflix show as opposed to a high budget HBO production'.
Another fan questioned why the story needed to be revisited at all, writing: "Why not make a spin of series with the og cast that’s still alive? Haven’t we watch this story play out already?"
The new adaptation is also offering viewers some scenes and perspectives that were not part of the original film, including footage involving the Weasley family.
That suggests the series will not always remain strictly focused on Harry’s point of view.
The first season is based on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the US, and is expected to give the first book a much longer adaptation than the movie received.
For fans who grew up with Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in the roles, though, the question now appears to be whether a new generation can make the characters feel like their own.
The new Harry Potter series is set to hit our screens this Christmas.
Harry Potter film vs series cast members
As fans gear up for the highly anticipated Harry Potter series, let's take a look at how the cast members from the films differ from the confirmed new cast set to grace our screens...
Harry Potter
Daniel Radcliffe became a household name when he portrayed the Boy Who Lived between 2001- 2011, and now, it's time for young actor Dominic McLaughlin to step into his shoes.
Ron Weasley
Rupert Grint was the perfect Ron Weasley during the decade the films aired, but from a first look, it seems Alastair Stout will have no trouble embodying the character for the new series.
Hermione Granger
Emma Watson rose to fame through her role as Hermione in the films - no doubt thanks to her iconic line 'It's leviosaaaaa, not leviosaahhh'. Arabella Stanton will be playing Hermione in the series, and fans can't wait to see how she takes on the role of the bookish witch.
Hagrid
The late Robbie Coltrane captured hearts of the nation in his role as lovable groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, and stepping into those shoes for the series is funnyman Nick Frost, who fans have no doubt will fall into the character with ease.
Albus Dumbledore
For the first two films, Richard Harris portrayed the wise wizard until his death in 2002. The character was then taken over by Michael Gambon for the remaining six films, who sadly died in 2023.
Now, legendary actor John Lithgow will be playing Dumbledore in the series, much to fans' delight.
Professor Snape
Alan Rickman did a stunning job in his portrayal as Slytherin's leader, Severus Snape. And while he will never be forgotten for his role following his death in 2016, British actor Paapa Essiedu is set to step in for the series and will no doubt match the expectations that Rickman naturally set.
Professor McGonagall
The late Dame Maggie Smith set the bar high for Minerva McGonagall, portraying the head of Gryffindor House during all eight films. Ozark star Janet McTeer will be portraying McGonagall in the new series, with fans being keen to see how she'll take it on.
Neville Longbottom
Matthew Lewis' role as Neville gave us some pretty iconic moments over the decade the films ran - who could forget 'Oh my god, I've killed Harry Potter'!
Young actor Rory Wilmot, who recently appeared in Netflix's Unchosen, will be playing Neville in the series, and we have no doubt there'll be even more iconic moments to come.
Draco Malfoy
Though many fans can't imagine anyone but Tom Felton as the icy-haired bully that is Draco Malfoy, Lord of the Flies actor Lox Pratt will be stepping into the role - and I already have high hopes.
Lucius Malfoy
Jason Isaacs gave stellar performances as Draco's wicked father throughout the films - and now, it's time for Emma star Johnny Flynn to give the role a whirl.
My father will hear about this!
The Dursleys
Harry's neglectful adoptive parents, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, were played by Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw in the films, with his spoilt cousin Dudley being played by Harry Melling.
In the series, Daniel Rigby and Bel Powley will portray the parents, while newcomer Amos Kitson will play Dudley.
36? But last year, last year I had 37!!
Gilderoy Lockhart
Kenneth Branagh famously portrayed the fraudulent wizard in The Chamber of Secrets in 2002, and after it was announced that Nicholas Hoult would be playing him in the series, it was revealed shortly after that, after dropping out due to scheduling conflicts, Game of Thrones star Kit Harington will be taking on the role.
Molly Weasley
After an unforgettable stint as the Weasley mum from Dame Julie Walters, The IT Crowd star Katherine Parkinson is set to play Molly Weasley in the new series.
Argus Filch
The grumpy Hogwarts caretaker was played by veteran actor David Bradley in all eight of the films, and the character is set to be reprised by Welsh comedian Paul Whitehouse.
Topics: Film and TV, Harry Potter, HBO
Thomas Bamford