HBO released a teaser trailer and premiere date for its take on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The show will premiere on the HBO Max streaming network this December 25. It’s a rare case where a big-ticket project is coming out earlier than anticipated instead of later; the series wasn’t expected to arrive until 2027.
HBO has already proved its bona fides with lush adaptations of fantastical stories several times over, and this trailer looks like more of the same. The team behind the camera includes notable names who have worked on series such as Succession, Game of Thrones, The Last of Us and Killing Eve. Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling, who alienated many fans after outing herself as transphobic, is also one of the show’s executive producers.
Engadget’s Jess Conditt has already written eloquently on the struggle of when and how to engage with the Harry Potter franchise while rejecting Rowling’s worldview, although the author’s involvement at the top level may make this adaptation a harder sell to the disillusioned community than, say, the Hogwarts Legacy video game where Rowling was barely involved and the studios took a more proactive approach toward presenting many types of diversity, including gender expression. If you’re hyped for this particular show, seems you’ll have a shorter time to wait for it.
