Trailer Thoughts - HBO's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

After all this time?

Wow. It is finally here. I have covered the HBO Harry Potter series a bit on the blog - when it was first announced, I gave my thoughts, and as more castings have come out I've talked about them. But I don't think anyone who has read my blog has fully understood how much I love Harry Potter.

I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone when I was seven years old. I grew up on these books and these films. I'm currently listening through the full-cast audio editions of the books on Audible. I've been to the theme parks at Universal. I've been to the studio tour in London. I was Harry for Halloween one year. I sleep below a gigantic poster of Hogwarts in my room. This series is an absolutely enormous piece of my life, and when they announced this TV show, I was over the moon. Since it's announcement, this has been one of my most anticipated movies/shows in the forseeable future.

I'm actually going to do something I've never done before on this blog: a full trailer breakdown, because there's A LOT to talk about here.

So let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Number Four, Privet Drive

The Boy Who Lived's nasty aunt and uncle make themselves known in this trailer

One of the things that immediately struck me with our first look at Harry's life at the Dursleys was really how much they are sticking to the books. Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw definitely look more like how Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia looked in the books, but you can see some moments in these first few seconds that are pulled directly from the pages.

Seeing Harry at school being bullied by Dudley was an amazing touch. The books give us a few glimpses at Harry's school life, and I am so excited to see those moments brought to live-action. Aunt Petunia cutting Harry's hair is also snatched directly from the books. It's just a great way to show the faithfulness they are showing right off the bat.

It also struck me how different this felt tonally. The Dursleys have always sort of been cartoonishly cruel, and, while I do get that vibe from the trailer, there's a bit more darkness and realism here. The cupboard under the stairs looks less like a comfy little room and more like a dark prison cell. Petunia's snarl and angry cutting of Harry's hair feels a lot meaner than I expected, and I think that automatically create more sympathy for Harry. So I was all for this little opening with the Dursleys.

The one thing I will say is that 4 Privet Drive looked strikingly similar to the films. This isn't really a good or a bad thing, but it felt like everything, from the orientation of the house to the wallpaper, was ripped straight out of the movies.

The Keeper of the Keys

Nick Frost brings Rubeus Hagrid to life once more

After we see Harry's Hogwarts letter, we cut to him on the London Underground with none other than Rubeus Hagrid, everyone's favorite half-giant. Harry tells Hagrid that he's always wanted to know about his parents, and we get some absolutely incredible and somewhat heart-wrenching cinematography as Hagrid tells him about Lily and James. I love the way the camera focuses on Harry's eyes and then moves up to the iconic lightning bolt scar on his forehead. It's a way to show him as Lily's son and then remind us as to why Harry is an orphan.

But let's talk about Hagrid. If there's one aspect of the trailer that I'm not crazy about, it is Hagrid. Now, look, this is a teaser trailer. We literally hear Hagrid say one line and we get, like, four shots of him. I like Nick Frost as an actor. I actually think he'll do a great job, but something just feels a little bit...off. Robbie Coltrane is obviously so iconic and embodies the role so perfectly, and I feel like Nick Frost's version is immediately giving off a bit of a parody-type feel to it. Maybe it's something with the hair or the costume, but it just doesn't exactly feel like Hagrid to me. His voice also sounds a bit normal for me. Hagrid is supposed to be this gruff-sounding giant with a booming voice...and when he talked, he just sounded like Nick Frost.

And, look, maybe his take on the character will work for me when I see it in the actual show. He definitely has Hagrid's warmth and lovability, so I think he will win me over. But based on what I saw in the trailer, I was just a bit hesitant.

Boarding the Hogwarts Express

Harry prepares for his journey and sees the Weasleys for the first time

I did realize that this trailer hits the beats of Philosopher's Stone (the TV show is calling it that so I am too) pretty well. Right after we leave Hagrid, we move to Platform 9 3/4 and the Hogwarts Express. I want to take a second to talk about two things that I absolutely loved here. First off, the cinematography is, again, gorgeous. Just look at this image above. That perfectly captures what Harry should be feeling in that moment. It's a sad yet hopeful image as Harry gazes out to see his future best friend among his family, an experience that he, Harry, has never known.

And let me take a second here to talk about Dominic McLaughlin. I remember Chris Columbus (director of Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets) described Daniel Radcliffe in his auditions for the first film as having a "haunting quality" that made him the perfect fit for Harry Potter. Well, I have great news: so does Dominic McLaughlin. Through the two minutes of him that we get in this trailer, I am absolutely sold on him as the person to step into the massive shoes of Daniel Radcliffe. Harry Potter is my personal favorite fictional character of all time. I can't put into words how much just he as a character means to me. Seeing McLaughlin nail every quality of Harry's, whether it be the somberness, the politeness, or the wonder at the Wizarding World, was a little emotional, to be honest. Again, I'm really holding off judgment on anything until the show comes out, but based on this first glimpse...this kid is going to absolutely knock it out of the park as the boy who lived.

I'll talk about Ron later, but I did love this quick glimpse that we see of him with Molly and Ginny. You can automatically see Molly as a caring mother as she hugs Ron goodbye. Again, I love that shot of Harry looking out at them with a sort of desperation. We really don't see much of Ginny besides her reflection in the window, so I can't say much there, but this was a good tiny taste of the Weasleys.

Arriving at Hogwarts

The castle has a familiarity to it...but also looks noticeably different

We then get a montage of shots of the arrival at Hogwarts. I'm actually glad that we did not see the exterior of the castle in this trailer. The reveal of the castle with the boats rowing across the lake is one of the most iconic moments in the series, so it really should be skipped in all marketing. Save that one for when the show comes out. I love the immediate interior of the castle. You can see in the shot above that it does feel like the Hogwarts that we saw in the movies, but it also has some differences that make it stand out.

One thing you can immediately see throughout this trailer, especially when they arrive at Hogwarts, is that this show is going to be darker than the movies. The books are darker than the movies, so if they are going for more faithfulness, then darkness is a great way to go. While Philosopher's Stone is an inherently whimsical and fun adventure that does not possess the darkness of the later entries, there is a lingering somberness to the whole thing, and it really feels like the trailer captured that tone.

We get our first look at Professor McGonagall as well as the Sorting Hat in this little montage. Janet McTeer is probably my favorite casting of the main Hogwarts staff. I think she looks great and will do great. The Sorting Hat definitely looks a little strange - it's black, which was unexpected, and it looks less beaten-up than I would assume, but I don't really care. That's not a big enough detail for me to be bothered by it.

The shots of the rest of the castle are just incredible. It looks as grandiose and epic as you'd expect. The classrooms look fantastic. The greenhouses specifically are just a gorgeous set. We also get one quick glimpse of Neville Longbottom (which I am just noting here quickly) and he's adorable. I cannot wait to spend more time in these environments. Pair that with Anton Lesser's voiceover as Ollivander saying "Mr. Potter. I think we can expect great things from you," as well as the swelling score, and this just feels like exactly what I wanted to see.

The Golden Trio

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are one hundred percent back

And there it is. Our first shot of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. With Luke, Leia, and Han, the greatest heroic trio in all of fiction (in my opinion). We really don't get a lot of the three of them together in this trailer, so I'm more going to use this section to talk about Ron and Hermione.

Ron Weasley might be my favorite aspect of this trailer. He is, in my opinion, the thing that the show can improve on most. Ron is good in the movies. He's a good character. But he is so, so much worse than his book counterpart. They skimmed over so many of his complexities and gave so many of his incredible moments in the films to Hermione...so the show has a chance to redeem that. And, by the looks of it, it will. Alistair Stout and Dominic McLaughlin already have clear chemistry, and Stout's atittude and smile throughout the trailer just radiates Ron Weasley to me. The way that Ron and Harry unwrap the Nimbus 2000 and then jump up and down is just so perfect. I cannot wait to see that duo together.

And now let's talk about the brightest witch of her age. Hermione Granger is, of course, one of the best characters in both the books and the movies. While Janet McTeer might be my favorite casting of the older cast, I think Arabella Stanton is my favorite of the younger cast. As I said earlier, I've been listening to the Audible full-cast audio editions of the books, and Stanton voices Hermione in the first three. She is perfect. Her voice acting fits Hermione beautifully, and you can tell from the glimpses of her in the trailer that her facial expressions and mannerisms will also fit Hermione perfectly.

The most important part of this show is, without a doubt, these three young actors and these three characters. I have absolute faith that Dominic McLaughlin, Alistair Stout, and Arabella Stanton will kill it as these three. But I also want to say this: if they don't, guess what? It's okay. They are kids. They are taking on three of the most beloved and popular characters of all time with monumental expectations. The world can be a nasty, horrible place, and Harry Potter is a way to escape from that. If you are reading this - do not let the nasty, horrible side of the world affect these actors. They have the opportunity of a lifetime, and they should absolutely be protected at all costs.

This Little Jerk

I already hate Draco Malfoy

Oh, Malfoy. This is another piece of perfect casting. Lox Pratt is noticeably older than the rest of the actors, so his presence sticks out in the trailer. Draco Malfoy is immediately unlikable, and I love to see that. We actually see him with Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson, and they just look great. Malfoy has a smug look on his face as they whip out their wands. Crabbe and Goyle look fantastically oaf-ish. We literally get a half-second shot of them, so I don't have much to say, but off of the first glimpse, they look great.

Quidditch

The wizarding sport is teased but not shown

After seeing Malfoy and some other shots of the trio, we get to the Quidditch pitch, where we see the Gryffindors taking on the Hufflepuffs, a match that was not in the movies but is in the books. I love the Quidditch uniforms. I think the teaser image that was put out before the trailer that shows Harry's name on the back of his robes looks great. The one thing I don't love here is the broomstick. It looks pretty ugly from this one glance, but again, I don't care that much. It's a flying broomstick. It will be cool no matter how it looks.

Alright - Let's Talk About It

Paapa Essiedu's Severus Snape has been the most talked-about aspect of this show

Listen. I love book accuracy. And if you are upset because you genuinely wanted Snape to be completely book accurate...fine. But I am also willing to let go of the books if I think the show has something better planned. Paapa Essiedu is a great choice to play Snape. He's a great actor, and he fits the role as the type of actor that he is. Does he look like how Snape is described in the books? No. But guess what? Severus Snape is a fictional character. Race has nothing to do with his character. And if Essiedu, a black man, is the best person for the role, then he should be Snape. This isn't some agenda that HBO is pushing. This isn't a DEI hire. Essiedu is a great actor, and he will make a great Snape. Watch his Hamlet soliloquiy. Then come back and complain about his casting.

And, by the way, I also believe that most people who are mad about this casting are mad because they have some inherent racial bias (consciously or subconsciously), not because they care about book accuracy. I've heard arguments like "Everyone would be mad if they cast a white Black Panther", which is completely invalid, because Black Panther's race matters to his character. And the death threats towards Essiedu...like, c'mon, guys. That's just disgusting.

Also...look at him! He looks awesome! He is absolutely giving off Snape vibes, but in a different way than Alan Rickman. Let me also say that Alan Rickman's Snape is basically untouchable, and Essiedu will differentiate himself in a way that will make it feel like a different version of the character. People are saying they wanted Adam Driver to play this role, but Adam Driver would've just been a lesser version of Rickman's performance. He looks more like him and acts more like him, but Essiedu can bring a different (possibly more book-accurate) interpretation of the character. Alan Rickman wasn't a perfect adpatation of the character, so why does skin color make or break how you feel about it?

The Only One He Ever Feared

Albus Dumbledore gets one quick appearance right before we get the title card

John Lithgow's Dumbledore is one of the things I'm most anticipating in this show. First off, Lithgow is the only American actor who has been cast in a major role in the show or the movies. Not that that's a big deal, but I just find it notable. They got the half-moon spectacles. His hat is goofy in a perfectly Dumbledore way. He's holding a tuning fork for some reason. He looks great. Just like the rest of this show. I cannot wait to see what he does with the role.

The Title

Finally, everyone gets to watch this story under the same name

This is the most minor of satisfying things from this trailer, but I love that they are sticking to this being called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. J.K. Rowling wrote it as The Philosopher's Stone. As Americans, it's always been The Sorcerer's Stone for us, but I'm glad that we are getting rid of that and making this the definitive title. I'm also glad that we're using the book titles. I expected this just to say something like HBO's Harry Potter, but we are getting the actual book titles, which is awesome.

And arguably the most exciting thing about this trailer...Christmas 2026! This show comes out this year! I cannot wait. It's going to be an insane few months as we get more marketing and more excitement coming from the Wizarding World. A new era is truly beginning. And I just can't wait to go back to Hogwarts.