As the Harry Potter TV series continues to take shape at HBO Max (we're expecting a full cast announcement any week now), concept art has been conjured up—via SFFGazette.com—that may reveal a first look at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Diagon Alley.
There's nothing too exciting, largely because the sets bear an undeniable similarity to those used in the Harry Potter movies. A drastic reinvention wasn't expected as the Boy Wizard's big screen adventures faithfully adapted the locations described in J.K. Rowling's novels, and there's only so much that can be done with these Wizarding World locales.
We've known for a while that there's a risk the Harry Potter TV series will basically just be an expanded retelling of what we watched in theaters between 2001 and 2011. With that in mind, it's hardly a surprise that this may be a slightly longer version of the same story with a fresh lick of paint.
Diagon Alley has undergone a few changes, though, and looks more like a small English town than the single street (which was basically just a large film set) from the movies. Of course, even if this is official artwork, there's nothing to say it will be used by HBO Max.
It's also at this point that we should warn you that there's a chance this is more AI-generated slop published online to mess with fans. There are some telltale signs of AI usage here and there, but it's getting harder to say, and the source that shared these images does have a fairly reliable track record. Many artists have also started using AI to assist them.
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.
Harry Potter's 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; and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Check out this alleged concept art from the upcoming Harry Potter TV series in the X post below.