The new generation of stars made an appearance at the Max launch event in London on Wednesday night.
The highly anticipated series sees Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, bringing fresh faces to the iconic roles for the first time on TV.
Stepping out on the red carpet, the trio sparked a wave of nostalgia with their uncanny resemblance to the original film cast.
Their appearance comes alongside the release of the series trailer, giving fans a first glimpse of the new take on the wizarding world.
First announced in 2023, the HBO adaptation will see young Scottish actor Dominic McLaughlin take on the role of the Boy Who Lived.
Much to fans' delight, the series is arriving earlier than initially expected, after previous reports suggested a 2027 release window.
The new generation of Harry Potter stars made an appearance at the HBO Max launch event in London on Wednesday night
The highly anticipated series sees Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, bringing fresh faces to the iconic roles for the first time on TV (pictured original cast)
Stepping out on the red carpet, the trio sparked a wave of nostalgia with their uncanny resemblance to the original film cast
The show is now set to debut at Christmas 2026 on HBO, and will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max in supported regions, including recent launch markets , , and the UK and Ireland.
The newly released trailer teases the very beginning of Harry's story, from being mistreated by his family, the Dursleys, to meeting the friendly half-giant Hagrid, before arriving at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
It also hints at previously unseen moments, including scenes of Harry attending a Muggle school.
At the start of the trailer, Harry's Aunt Petunia can be heard insisting there is 'nothing special' about him.
However, everything changes on his 11th birthday when he receives his Hogwarts acceptance letter - opening the door to a hidden world of friendship, adventure and magic.
But with this new life comes danger, as Harry is forced to confront a powerful enemy tied to his past.
The first-look trailer arrives just a day after HBO unveiled its first official image, showing the young wizard preparing to take flight for a game of Quidditch.
Fans have been eagerly anticipating details about the series – and an official picture from the Harry Potter Instagram account gave fans a taste of what's to come.
HBO has dropped a first-look trailer for the highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series, confirming the show will premiere this Christmas
First announced in 2023, the HBO adaptation will see young Scottish actor Dominic McLaughlin take on the role of the Boy Who Lived
Much to fans' delight, the series is arriving earlier than initially expected, after previous reports suggested a 2027 release window
The shot showed Harry from behind, with the protagonist wearing his Gryffindor Quidditch uniform, which has 'POTTER 7' on the back.
Harry's Nimbus 2000 broomstick can be partially seen, while he heads towards banners displaying Gryffindor and Hufflepuff colours.
Meanwhile, a banner reading 'Fred and George' – presumably referring to the Weasley twins – is also on display.
One person commented: 'This looks better than I could have ever imagined!'
Another wrote: 'I have officially passed out. Someone help me up.'
A third penned: 'I'M SO EXCITED I CAN'T FOCUS ON ANYTHING ELSE.'
A fourth chimed in: 'Potterheads around the world let's go.'
While a fifth remarked: 'I'm not crying.... you're crying.'
Although this was the first official picture, fans had previously seen a number of leaked photos over several months.
Among the earliest came from July 2025, with Dominic and co-stars filming scenes at London Zoo.
Fans will recall that this depicts Harry's Muggle cousin Dudley Dursley's birthday, a memorable moment from the first book.
Harry displays his magical powers after helping a Burmese Python escape from the enclosure that it is living in.
While Dominic – in character as Harry – could be seen rocking a blue hoodie and his iconic circular glasses.
He was joined by a grimacing Dudley (Amos Kitson) and his aunt Petunia, (Bel Powley) and grumpy Vernon (Daniel Rigby) in the scenes filmed by the penguin enclosure.
The cast also zoomed around in green golf buggies, while members of the public were shocked as they realised who they were.
At the start of the trailer, Harry's Aunt Petunia can be heard insisting there is 'nothing special' about him
However, everything changes on his 11th birthday when he receives his Hogwarts acceptance letter - opening the door to a hidden world of friendship, adventure and magic
But with this new life comes danger, as Harry is forced to confront a powerful enemy tied to his past
While the sets have been kept hush-hush by show bosses, now images of them have been shared online after Apple Maps was updated with new images.
It gives fans a first look into the magical world of the series, being made at the Warner Bros Studio in Leavesden, which follows young wizard Harry as he joins Hogwarts.
A number of iconic Harry Potter locations are shown in the images, including overhead shots of the hut owned by Hagrid, the giant groundskeeper of Hogwarts.
Elsewhere, fans of the series will recognise the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, which has been recreated in Diagon Alley, famed from the books and subsequent films.
The suburban street where the orphaned Harry was sent to live, Privet Drive, has also been brought to life on the sprawling studio set.
