HBO’s Harry Potter series has found itself defined by controversy before the first episode has even aired.
The reaction to Black actor Paapa Essiedu being cast as Severus Snape has been a huge talking point, with criticism centering on how the character is described in J. K. Rowling’s books. That backlash has escalated into online abuse and death threats aimed at the actor, with other reports claiming that HBO has tightened security on set as a result.
At the same time, debate surrounding Rowling herself, who has been vocal in her views on gender identity over the years, also continues. There have even been reports of fighting and bullying between some of the actors on the set of the upcoming series.
All of that controversy has, however, drowned out what the show is actually doing.
HBO is stretching the Harry Potter story across seven seasons (one per book), starting with an eight-episode adaptation of Philosopher’s Stone, set to premiere on December 25 (Christmas Day), 2026. An official trailer has already been released, and HBO’s Finding Harry featurette has since offered an early look at how the series is being put together.
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Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout lead the all-new cast as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, supported by John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, to name a few. But there’s one casting that doesn’t exactly fit the “clean reboot” label.
Warwick Davis is reprising his role as Professor Filius Flitwick, carrying over directly from the original films, where he first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001). That detail becomes more interesting when paired with something Ralph Fiennes recently said — that he was once asked if he would consider returning as Lord Voldemort, the role he played from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).
There’s no evidence that conversation was tied to HBO’s series, and it likely wasn’t even in production at the time, but it adds to the sense that the franchise isn’t completely closing the door on its past.
Put those pieces together, and the show starts to feel less like a replacement for the films and more like something running parallel to them.
That’s where the idea of a Wizarding World Multiverse comes into play. It’s not something HBO has announced or even remotely hinted at, but it’s an easy theory to land on. The series already has built-in tools like Time-Turners that allow for altered timelines, and modern franchises like Marvel and DC continue to lean heavily into this kind of storytelling.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
HBO’s Harry Potter is written and executive-produced by showrunner Francesca Gardiner (HBO’s Succession, His Dark Materials, Killing Eve). J. K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films are also onboard as executive producers. Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones, The Last of Us) will executive-produce and direct multiple episodes.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premieres on December 25, 2026.
