When the first official trailer for HBO’s Harry Potter finally premiered on Wednesday, March 25, there was a lot for fans to take in. New actors taking on the roles of Harry (Dominic McLaughlin), Ron (Alastair Stout), and Hermione (Arabella Stanton), and the entire Hogwarts faculty, including Albus Dumbledore (John Lithgow), Minerva McGonagall (Janet McTeer), and Severus Snape (Paapa Essiedu), as well as the all-new wizarding world.But there were two details audiences were not expecting. The first was the title: the first part of HBO’s series, which will run for seven seasons with each one based on one of J. K. Rowling‘s novels, is officially called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Not only does this completely abandon Sorcerer’s Stone — the alternative name given to the first book for U. S. audiences — but fans were expecting something as simple as Harry Potter Season 1.The second was the release. Previously, HBO was eyeing a 2027 window, but the trailer confirms that the series will arrive on Christmas Day this year. And while fans were expecting one season each year thereafter, HBO chief Casey Bloys recently said otherwise, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “For some of the bigger shows like Harry Potter or House of the Dragon, or The Last of Us, huge world-building shows, it would be nice to have those on an annual basis. But from a production point of view, it’s just not possible.”This seems in line with HBO’s commitment to spreading out the show over a 10-year period.Credit: HBONow, HBO has made yet another last-minute announcement with Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic Special, a behind-the-scenes featurette that premieres on the streamer this Sunday, April 5. The new documentary will offer fans “an exclusive look inside the HBO series from the artists bringing it to life” ahead of its premiere on Christmas Day this year.Watch the trailer below:Related: HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Confirms Changes to Snape After Fan BacklashThis teaser gives us a much closer look at the new wizarding world than the trailer, showcasing everything from the Hogwarts Express to the Great Hall and Diagon Alley to the Forbidden Forest.“The Harry Potter stories are this extraordinary phenomenon,” John Lithgow, who plays the the series’ Albus Dumbledore, says in the trailer. “To reimagine the Harry Potter canon, to let it breathe, we get to enact all the things you know are going on in the wings but you don’t see them.” He adds, “You wait forever to do something that means that much to people.”While the new series is shaping up to be something truly magical, it has not been without controversy from announcement through to production. Trans activists have boycotted the project due to J. K. Rowling’s divisive views on gender identity, and actor Paapa Essiedu, who plays Snape, has been on the receiving end of racist death threats, which has forced HBO to take extra steps in tightening security on set. There have also been reports of bullying between young actors on set; however, these allegations remain unsubstantiated.Credit: HBORelated: ‘Harry Potter’s New Voldemort Actor Will Surprise Fans, First Official Teaser ArrivesHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s StoneHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone boasts an extensive supporting cast that also includes Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander. Warwick Davis reprises his role in the series, returning as Filius Flitwick.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.Are you excited about HBO’s Harry Potter? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!The post HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series Now Launching With First Episode Sooner Than Expected appeared first on Inside the Magic.