HBO's Harry Potter TV series is putting together an impressive cast, and work is underway on the sets that will be used for the next decade to bring a new version of the Wizarding World to our screens.
Thanks to SFFGazette.com, we have a very early look at Platform 9¾, the magical corner of London's King's Cross station where Harry Potter and his fellow wizards and witches depart for Hogwarts. The Hogwarts Express will also likely be built there eventually, and that will likely be where it remains for the scenes featuring the show's young leads setting off for another year of adventures.
There's a massive amount of construction taking place, and one can't help but wonder whether this will be another tourist attraction for Warner Bros. somewhere down the line. The Harry Potter Studio Tour is right around the corner and is home to many of the sets and costumes featured in the movie franchise.
How Harry Potter fans will respond to this reboot remains to be seen. Thanks to author J.K. Rowling's vocal opinions about the trans community, the franchise doesn't have much goodwill right now, and many feel it's too soon to reboot those classic movies.
While this TV series has the opportunity to spend a lot more time with these characters than those (heaps of big moments never made it off the page thanks to the restriction of a two-hour runtime), it's hard to say how it will otherwise differentiate itself from what's come before.
For Warner Bros. Discovery, the plan seems to be to continue monetising the franchise, all while introducing it to a new generation of children.
Take a closer look at these new photos from the set of Harry Potter in the X posts below.
Dominic McLaughlin has been cast in the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. Joining them will be Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown.
Harry Potter's adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.
The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling and will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years.
Exploring every corner of the wizarding world, each season will bring Harry Potter and its incredible adventures to new and existing audiences and will stream exclusively on HBO Max where it’s available globally, including upcoming markets such as Turkey, the UK, Germany, and Italy, among others.
The series is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
The new Harry Potter TV series is expected to premiere on HBO next year.