A New Generation Heads to Hogwarts in HBO’s First “Harry Potter” Trailer

The gang is heading back to Hogwarts.

HBO revealed the first trailer for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, its ambitious new series that will bring viewers back to the Wizarding World this Christmas. The first look at the series, from showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod, finds Harry (Dominic McLaughlin) living in the cupboard under the stairs at the Dursleys’ house, the Muggle family that includes his bully-of-a-cousin, Dudley (Amos Kitson). The haircut he receives from Aunt Petunia (Bel Powley) delivers two pieces of childhood trauma: it’s painful, and she tells him he’s not special. We know the truth, and an acceptance letter to Hogwarts proves it.

Harry’s arrival at Hogwarts will, of course, change his life. He learns about the Wizarding World he belongs to and discovers a bit about his deceased parents. On the train to Hogwarts, Harry meets the two most important people in his life: Ron (Alastair Scout) and Hermione (Arabella Stanton). Once at the iconic school, we find Harry unwrapping a Quidditch broomstick and get a few looks at some of the people who will further shape his life: Dumbledore (John Lithgow), Draco Malfoy (Lox Pratt), and Mr. Ollivander (Anton Lesser).

Finding the cast for the new series was no less daunting than when J.K. Rowling’s books were first adapted for the big screen (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released on November 16, 2001, in the U.S.), and the effort was led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann. The cast also includes Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.

The series will adapt one book per season, unfolding as a seven-part epic. Check out the trailer below. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premieres on HBO on Christmas.

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Featured image: Dominic McLaughlin. Photograph by Aidan Monaghan/HBO