It’s time to go back to Hogwarts.
A new era of the “Harry Potter” franchise is beginning later this year, with a TV series debuting this Christmas on HBO Max.
The first trailer was released Wednesday, showing off all the new actors in their roles as the iconic characters that fans got to know in the books and films. Watch it here:
The series will recreate J.K. Rowling’s seven novels and eight movie adaptations. Each season of the series is expected to cover one of the books, with the eight-episode first season titled “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
The trailer follows the events of Rowling’s first book, including Harry’s experience with the Dursleys (his aunt, uncle and cousin), meeting Rubeus Hagrid and learning of his magic, taking the Hogwarts Express and the kids’ arrival at Hogwarts and meeting other key characters like Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy.
Alongside Dominic McLaughlin as the titular character, the cast includes Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
While the child actors are new to the scene, more familiar actors will play other key characters. Oscar-nominated actor John Lithgow will play Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer (“Ozark”) will play Professor Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost (“Shaun of the Dead) will play Hagrid and Paapa Essiedu (“I May Destroy You”) will play Snape.
“Succession” writer Francesca Gardiner is serving as showrunner and “Game of Thrones” director Mark Mylod is directing several episodes of the opening season.
Warner Bros. Discovery announced it has signed a merger agreement with Paramount Skydance a day after Netflix announced it was pulling out of the bidding war.
