The eight-episode first season is set to debut on Christmas 2026 on HBO and will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max in multiple countries, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, and Italy.

The show is written by Francesca Gardiner and directed by Mark Mylod. It is based on J.K. Rowling's popular book series and is backed by a team of experienced producers.

Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry Potter, Alastair Stout plays Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton plays Hermione Granger. Other cast members include Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil and Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan. Rory Wilmot will play Neville Longbottom and Amos Kitson is portraying Dudley Dursley.

They will be joined by adult stars including John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Hagrid.

Reactions to the new casting have been mixed. Actor Paapa Essiedu has reportedly received death threats after being cast as Professor Snape. He has been on the receiving end of severe online abuse, including racially motivated threats.

For those unversed, more than 30,000 children auditioned after an open casting call. The chosen ones - Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout - are all relative newcomers.

While much of the cast is revealed, the actor atarring as Voldemart has been kept under wraps. Several names have been linked to the role, including Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany, and Tilda Swinton. However, these reports have been denied.

Titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the series is adapted from the original book’s name outside the United States. The series is expected to revisit the magical journey of Harry, Ron and Hermione's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

But the entire production is expected to take 10 years to complete in total, with new seasons expected through 2036 as the plan is to film a series to cover each of Rowling's seven books, which the films were originally based on.

Each book will have one season, allowing the narrative to delve deeper into character arcs, subplots, and details left out of the film’s first release over two decades ago.

The roughly two-minute teaser opens with a shot of the Dursley home before following young Harry Potter, played by Dominic McLaughlin, being forced into the cupboard under the stairs, bullied by his cousin Dudley, and subjected to a stern haircut and lecture from Aunt Petunia on how ordinary he is.

The clip then tracks his journey from receiving his Hogwarts acceptance letter to meeting Hagrid. It also shows Potter getting his first wand from wandmaker Garrick Ollivander, and shares early moments of friendship with Ron and Hermione. The teaser also offers glimpses of Quidditch, the Sorting Hat ceremony, a Christmas snowball fight, and the grand Entrance Hall of a reimagined Hogwarts.