It didn’t take long for the Harry Potter TV show to completely break my heart. This week, HBO surprised us with its first trailer for the remake series, which came with the announcement that season 1 will premiere on Christmas Day, 2026. Given the anticipation surrounding this project, it’s pretty spectacular that the company didn’t waste our time with seconds-long teasers or just some first-look images. This is a full two-minute trailer for Harry Potter, and it came with a rather in-depth look at the sorts of scenes we can expect in season 1.
A valuable takeaway from the Harry Potter trailer is that the upcoming show will centralize scenes that were described secondhand in the books. For example, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone didn’t take us through Harry’s experiences of being bullied by Dudley at school or of having his hair aggressively cut by Petunia. However, the book did tell us that these things happened. In the latter example, Harry’s narration explains that Petunia once became so fed up with his untidy hair that she cut it nearly to the scalp, then punished him when it grew back out overnight.
Knowing that this happened and seeing it on screen are two entirely different experiences. The Harry Potter trailer has given us just a taste of the sort of abuse Dominic McLaughlin’s Harry will experience in season 1, and the moment was already rather emotionally weighty. It’s a sign that this new adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is going to absolutely shatter me.
The New Harry Potter Clearly Isn’t Shying Away From The Dursleys’ Abuse
The first few chapters of the Philosopher’s Stone book were largely dedicated to establishing just how horrible the Dursleys were to Harry while he was growing up. The Harry Potter movies had limited time to get that same idea across, and they did a good enough job. Still, neither book nor film carried the same sort of weight as that single, condensed scene of Petunia cutting Harry’s hair in the Harry Potter season 1 trailer.
Pel Powley did a fantastic job of being absolutely despicable in the Harry Potter trailer, and she’s only upstaged by the heartbreaking performance from McLaughlin. The boy didn’t have to say a single word— he had my heart from the moment I saw his expression and the tears welling up in his eyes. It’s a strange thing to celebrate, but I find myself immensely relieved to see that HBO is emphasizing Harry’s experience with the Dursleys. After all, the Boy Who Lived’s transition from loneliness to a magical world of belonging is key to what makes Harry Potter so spectacular.
HBO’s Emotional New Harry Potter Trailer Promises Plenty Of Tears To Come
The first trailer for the Harry Potter TV show was rather cleverly constructed. Not only do we get those devastating moments with the Dursleys, but we’re immediately rewarded with clips from Harry’s first year at Hogwarts. Petunia’s cruelty is quickly juxtaposed by Harry’s laughter with Ron as they feast on treats on the Hogwarts Express, open the brand new Nimbus 2000, have a snowball fight on the grounds, and sit by the fire in the Gryffindor common room. In only two minutes, we see Harry go from abused and alone to surrounded by joy and love.
With just one trailer, HBO showed us that it understands what it is that made anyone who ever felt alone and unseen find healing in Harry Potter.
It’s a great way to advertise what the Harry Potter TV show will offer that the original films could not. Nothing will ever eliminate the special place the Harry Potter movies hold in our hearts, but for years, we’ve lamented that they couldn’t quite capture the full warmth and nuance of Harry’s journey. With just one trailer, HBO showed us that it understands what it is that made anyone who ever felt alone and unseen find healing in Harry Potter. It’s not just a tease, but a promise of what is to come.
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026
- Showrunner
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Francisca Gardiner
- Directors
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Mark Mylod
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Dominic McLaughlin
Harry Potter
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Janet McTeer
Minerva McGonagall
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