HBO has released a new teaser trailer for its upcoming Harry Potter television series, offering the most extensive look at the reboot that is hyped as one of the biggest releases of 2026. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first season of the planned seven-season series, will premiere on Christmas Day, December 25, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max.

The trailer, which dropped on Wednesday, runs through nearly every major set piece from JK Rowling’s first novel. Janet McTeer’s McGonagall is seen leading the first-year students to the Sorting Ceremony, calling out names alphabetically, as Harry silently pleads “not Slytherin” before the hat places him in Gryffindor.

John Lithgow’s Dumbledore gets a warm, playful introduction, snapping his fingers to fill the Great Hall tables with food. Paapa Essiedu’s Snape delivers his first line to Harry with cold precision: “Let’s hope you show some talent on the Quidditch pitch, Potter. You’ve certainly not exhibited any in here.” The trailer then moves through Harry’s first Herbology classes, the discovery of the Cloak of Invisibility, the Mirror of Erised, Ron receiving his Hogwarts letter at the Burrow surrounded by his brothers, a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin with Ron and Hermione cheering from the packed stands, Wizard’s Chess with pieces that come alive and fight, and the bathroom troll sequence.

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Brief flashback shots appear to show a young couple, presumably Lily and James Potter, running along a bridge that transforms into a glittering golden arc of light, suggesting the series will expand on Harry’s parents’ story beyond what the original films showed.

Notably, the trailer suggests the series will not be told strictly from Harry’s point of view. A scene featuring the Weasley family at the Burrow receiving Hogwarts’ letter, independent of Harry’s presence, indicates the show is willing to expand beyond the single-perspective storytelling of the original films and explore moments from the books.

The new Harry Potter cast

The series features a sprawling ensemble that covers both the student and adult worlds of Hogwarts. The main cast includes newcomer Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, the role that made Daniel Radcliffe a global star 25 years ago. Arabella Stanton plays Hermione Granger, taking over from Emma Watson, while Alastair Stout steps into Ron Weasley, previously played by Rupert Grint.

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The Hogwarts student body is filled out with Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Tristan Harland and Gabriel Harland as twins Fred and George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe and William Nash as Gregory Goyle.

The adult cast is headlined by John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, a role previously played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon across the original film series. Janet McTeer plays Minerva McGonagall, originally portrayed by the late Maggie Smith. Paapa Essiedu takes on Severus Snape, the role that defined Alan Rickman’s later career. Nick Frost plays Rubeus Hagrid, originally portrayed by Robbie Coltrane, who passed away in 2022.

Unlike the film series, which condensed each novel into a single film (with the exception of Deathly Hallows, split into two parts), the television series will devote an entire season to each of Rowling’s seven books. The expanded format is designed to give the sprawling narratives more room to develop subplots, secondary characters and world-building details that the films were forced to cut for time.

The series is showrun by Francesca Gardiner, who has written and executive produced the adaptation. Mark Mylod, best known for directing episodes of Succession, directs multiple episodes and co-executive produces. The wider executive producer team includes Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts through Bronte Film and TV, and David Heyman through Heyday Films, who produced every film in the original Potter franchise. The series will premiere Christmas 2026 on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.