The first Harry Potter trailer’s out – and my initial doubts are fading

Luca Fontana

26/3/2026

Translation: Eva Francis

HBO has released the first teaser for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. My impression after watching it seven times? Looks promising. I’m cautiously optimistic.

After months of controversies, casting rumours, speculation and fan backlash, here we are. Much has been said and written about the new Harry Potter series – often overstepping the boundaries of good taste.

But now it’s here: the first teaser trailer of HBO’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. This finally gives us real footage to discuss. Having said that, we don’t get to see any big action scenes, as filming only began last summer. But we do get to see sets, costumes, faces and a first impression of the look and feel of this remake.

What can I say? If I had to summarise my thoughts and feelings, I’d say:

cautiously optimistic.

It all starts on 4 Privet Drive

Let’s start from the beginning. The trailer begins where the story’s always begun: with Harry’s miserable life at the Dursleys’. Only this time, we get to experience never-before-seen scenes – Harry being bullied by his cousin Dudley at school or Aunt Petunia cutting his hair. She insists he’s just a regular boy, while we all see him waking up the next morning with magically regrown hair.

It’s little moments like these that best show what the series is all about: time. The Harry Potter movies didn’t have time to show these moments, as they had to cram an entire book into two and a half hours. This series, however, can take its time and show details that previously existed only in readers’ minds.

And then comes Hagrid. Nick Frost is sat in a London underground train, a giant in a world that obviously wasn’t made for him. It’s just a short scene, a few seconds at most, but there’s so much charm and warmth in it that I immediately sense that this cast works. Frost’s character feels warm and welcoming, like an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time. Very different to Robbie Coltrane, of course. But also right, in his own way.

Then comes a scene that breaks my heart. Harry watches Molly Weasley (Katherine Parkinson) give Ron a big hug as they say goodbye on the platform. A mother holding her son – Harry’s expression says it all. He’s never experienced this feeling before.

In the 2001 film, this moment wouldn’t have been possible. Chris Columbus directed The Philosopher’s Stone as a colourful and lighthearted adventure full of wonder and wow moments, in which an 11-year-old discovers a magical world – and we got to experience it alongside him. This series, however, dares to look beneath the surface at the loneliness, the longing and the pain of a child who’s never experienced what it means to be loved.

Hogwarts takes shape

From here, we slowly make our way towards Hogwarts – on the Hogwarts Express moving towards Hogsmeade Station. That’s where the first-years get off and, as is tradition, are led across the lake to Hogwarts by Hagrid. The older students travel in horseless carriages. Then comes Janet McTeer as McGonagall. She’s waiting in the entrance hall – upright, strict and poised.

We don’t get to see the Great Hall just yet, but we do get a first glimpse of the Gryffindor common room. Once again, the difference to the movie is striking, as the room stretches all the way up the entire tower. It’s not a cosy little room as in Chris Columbus’s film adaptation, but a vertical, breathtaking structure that finally reveals the true meaning of Gryffindor «tower».

Then we see a classroom that looks like it shows professor Binns’s History of Magic class. He never appeared in the movies, yet he’s one of the most bizarre teachers. He’s a ghost who slept through his own death. The story the students tell each other is that Binns fell asleep while sitting in front of the fireplace and died in his sleep – but then got up the next morning as a ghost to continue teaching as if nothing had happened.

Later, we hear Ollivander say the famous line «I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter». He’s played by Anton Lesser, the man who proved he can be both authoritative and ominously fascinating in his roles as Qyburn in Game of Thrones and Lio Partagaz in Andor. In just a few seconds, he captures the essence of Ollivander – someone who knows more than he lets on.

We also get a brief glimpse of the entrance to the Quidditch pitch, the scenery, the sports uniforms and a snowball fight in the courtyard. Everything feels handmade, well-thought-out and crafted with an attention to detail that reminds me of HBO’s best productions.

Snape, Dumbledore and the big casting question

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. After all, this has been the subject of much heated debate in recent months: the casting of Severus Snape.

Paapa Essiedu, known for his roles in I May Destroy You and Gangs of London, is Black and has dreadlocks. I have no intentions to open that can of worms that is the debate about skin colour. But let me say, the very short sequence I saw of him in the trailer didn’t disappoint. Not at all, to be honest.

Sure, he’s no Alan Rickman. No one ever will be. For my generation, Rickman will probably always be the real Snape, with his cold elegance, that serpentine quality and that voice that made every word sound like a threat. But Essiedu brings something unique to the table. I see the creators’ vision. And maybe that’s exactly the point of this series: it’s not a copy, but a reinterpretation.

The same goes for John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore. We only see him for a brief moment, too, but my first impression’s good. In the course of a career that includes six Emmys, two Tonys and two Oscar nominations, Lithgow has proven that he’s great at portraying both kindness and cunningness. Both are qualities that Dumbledore desperately needs in the later seasons.

And then there’s the music. The score was composed by Hans Zimmer and his collective Bleeding Fingers Music, along with composers Kara Talve and Anže Rozman. In other words, no more John Williams.

The music in the trailer sounds melancholic, hopeful and intriguing, without ever referencing Hedwig’s Theme. I like it, even if I’ll really struggle with accepting that Harry Potter no longer sounds like John Williams.

But from what I hear in the trailer, it sounds like Zimmer and his team chose to find their own emotional approach, rather than remaining in the shadow of one of the greatest film composers of all time.

That’s important. Is it better? That’s open to debate. But in the end, the music, and in fact the entire series, has to stand on its own two feet and establish its own credibility. It can’t do that if it keeps following in the footsteps of Chris Columbus’s and John Williams’ interpretation. What it needs is its own vision that speaks for itself.

More than just «cautiously optimistic»?

The key question isn’t if this trailer looks good. Yes, it does. The key question is: does this series manage to justify its existence alongside the movies? Can it offer more than just nostalgia with a makeover? The trailer doesn’t answer this question – no teaser in the world could. But it sends a clear message:

We know that Harry Potter means a lot to you. We take this responsibility seriously. The material is in good hands.

Showrunner Francesca Gardiner, who proved with His Dark Materials that she can adapt literary fantasy for the screen, and director Mark Mylod, who directed several of the best Succession episodes, have exactly what it takes for this task: respect for the source material combined with the courage to put their own stamp on it.

In fact, after watching the trailer five, six, seven times, I have to admit that my confidence grew a little bit each time. The scenes with Harry at the Dursleys’ show this series isn’t afraid to find its own tone. Its own vibe. The casting feels carefully considered, not just provocative. And the sets show a level of craftsmanship that, in an age of AI-generated visual extravaganzas, feels almost refreshingly old-fashioned.

When does the series kick off? At Christmas 2026. Until then, there’s plenty of time for more trailers, more debates, more hopes and more fears. But if this teaser has taught me one thing, it’s that we have something to look forward to. I’m not letting my guard down just yet,

but I’m cautiously optimistic.

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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