HBO’s New Harry Potter Trailer Finally Gives Us a Real Look at Hogwarts

Grab your robes because HBO is taking us back to Hogwarts.

A brand-new teaser for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone arrived Wednesday, September 2, giving fans the most extensive look yet at HBO’s upcoming television adaptation of the beloved book series. And if the first teaser was about introducing us to this new version of Harry Potter, this one is very much about reminding everyone why Hogwarts became such an iconic place in the first place.

The new footage follows Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger as their first year at Hogwarts begins.

And HBO is not exactly being subtle about hitting the moments fans remember. We see Harry sitting beneath the Sorting Hat and desperately hoping to avoid Slytherin before landing in Gryffindor. There are Hogwarts classes, the Great Hall, broomsticks, Quidditch and, yes, a certain troll making its presence known. The trailer also offers glimpses of Harry's Invisibility Cloak and the Mirror of Erised.

Basically, HBO said, “Remember Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone?” and then proceeded to unlock about 25 years of memories.

Meet the New Hogwarts Professors

The trailer also gives us a much better look at the adults taking over some very familiar roles. John Lithgow appears as Albus Dumbledore, while Janet McTeer steps into the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall. Paapa Essiedu is Severus Snape, and his version of the professor already seems more than ready to make Harry's life difficult.

“Let's hope you show some talent on the Quidditch pitch, Potter,” Snape tells him after apparently being less than impressed with Harry in class.

OK, Professor. The kid just got there. Nick Frost also stars as Rubeus Hagrid, with Lox Pratt playing Draco Malfoy and Luke Thallon appearing as Professor Quirinus Quirrell.

For longtime fans, the interesting part is going to be seeing where HBO chooses to recreate familiar moments from the films and where the series uses its additional runtime to dig into material from the books that never made it onto the big screen.

That opportunity has always been the biggest argument for revisiting Harry Potter as a television series. We already know this story. The question is whether HBO can give us enough that we haven't seen to make telling it again worthwhile.

A New Generation Heads to Hogwarts

The upcoming HBO Original is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner, with Mark Mylod executive producing and directing multiple episodes. The series is being produced in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television.

HBO plans to adapt the Harry Potter books across multiple seasons, giving each story considerably more room than the original movies had.

And judging by this trailer, the first season isn't rushing through Harry's introduction to the wizarding world. There is something undeniably surreal about watching another Harry, Ron and Hermione walk through Hogwarts. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson defined these characters for an entire generation, so comparisons are going to happen whether HBO wants them or not.

But this trailer gives the new trio their biggest opportunity yet to start making the roles their own.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premieres Christmas 2026 on HBO and will stream on HBO Max where available.

The question now is pretty simple: Are we ready to go back to Hogwarts?