Harry Potter HBO Series Trailer Shows Longer Scenes From Hogwarts

“Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts.” HBO’s latest trailer for its planned Harry Potter series offers the clearest extended look yet at the new adaptation, including longer scenes with Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall.

The trailer also features the mountain troll, the Mirror of Erised and Professor Quirrell. HBO plans to retell all seven Harry Potter novels over several seasons. The series is scheduled to begin at the end of the year.

The footage suggests that the show could depart more noticeably from the eight films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, which appeared between 2001 and 2011. Alongside scenes from Rowling’s first book, the trailer includes additional moments from everyday life at Hogwarts that do not appear in the novel. Storylines shortened or removed from the films are also expected to receive more space.

That prospect has divided fans. Some say the new series still looks too similar to the highly popular films and struggle to imagine the familiar characters with a new cast. Others see the television format as an advantage. According to the makers, the first book will receive about eight hours, allowing more room for secondary plots, characters and school life.

Paapa Essiedu’s portrayal of Snape has drawn particular attention. His casting sparked debate before the trailer and he said he had received death threats. After seeing the longer scenes, however, many previously skeptical fans reacted positively to his younger and sharper interpretation. The project remains shadowed by controversy surrounding Rowling, who serves as an executive producer and has faced years of criticism over her statements about transgender people and gender identity. Several cast and crew members have publicly distanced themselves from her positions, including Essiedu, who signed an open letter supporting transgender people.