HBO Releases First Look at ‘Harry Potter’ Series as Production Begins in UK

New cast and first-look image unveiled as production gets underway at Warner Bros. Studios in the UK.

Dominic McLaughlin, who will portray Harry Potter, on the set of HBO series "Harry Potter," scheduled for 2027. Aidan Monaghan/HBO via AP

HBO announced Monday that production has officially begun on its upcoming television adaptation of “Harry Potter,” revealing a first image of the new lead and confirming a 2027 release.

Dominic McLaughlin will portray the title character, shown in a newly released image wearing the traditional Hogwarts school uniform, complete with round glasses and a visible forehead scar. The series is currently filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the United Kingdom, the same location used for the original film series.

McLaughlin was previously announced as the lead in May, alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.

Additional cast members announced Monday include Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.

Several well-known actors will portray adult characters in the series. John Lithgow has been cast as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu will play Severus Snape, and Nick Frost has been announced as Rubeus Hagrid.

The television project begins production nearly 14 years after the theatrical release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” the final installment in the original eight-film series that lasted from 2001 to 2011. Since the debut of the first book in 1997, the franchise has expanded into multiple formats, including a Broadway play, interactive video games, and international theme park attractions.

Rowling, the author of the original novels, confirmed in a June social media post that she “worked closely” with the writers and expressed satisfaction with the adaptation’s direction.

“I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!,” she wrote on X.

The “Harry Potter” book series has sold over 600 million copies worldwide. The upcoming television series marks the first full-length serialized retelling of the original books, with HBO stating it will be a “faithful adaptation” of the source material.

The network also stated that the project “will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years,” reported AP.

The series will air on HBO and be available to stream on Max in supported regions. An exact premiere date has not yet been announced.