If you’re a Harry Potter purist, we have some good news about the upcoming reboot.To say that reactions to the Harry Potter reboot have been mixed so far would be an understatement. First announced in 2023, the TV series – which will adapt one book per season, tallying seven seasons in total – simply comes too close to the end of the original movies, in the eyes of some fans. That’s despite the fact that Warner Bros. has promised a more faithful adaptation this time around.Credit: Warner Bros.Others have criticized the decision to draw more attention (and money) to JK Rowling in the wake of the author’s comments on gender identity and the transgender community. While Rowling (who’s sparked beef with the original cast of the show in recent years) isn’t writing or directing the show, she does reportedly hold an executive producer role, and has already made it clear on social media that she’s deeply involved with the production in one way or another.Regardless of fan sentiment, the project is pushing ahead. Filming started on the fantasy show’s first season earlier this week, with Dominic McLaughlin replacing Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, joined by Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.Credit: Warner Bros.So far, we’ve already received official glimpses at both McLaughlin and Frost in costume, with fans praising the differences in costume and aesthetic between McLaughlin’s Boy Who Lived and Radcliffe’s take on the character. Behind-the-scenes images of filming at London Zoo also revealed glimpses of Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Harry’s unpleasant aunt, and Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Harry’s equally unpleasant uncle.Behind-the-Scenes Images Confirm Important Detail About ‘Harry Potter’ RebootImages from the zoo – which, just like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), will serve as the backdrop for the scene in which a young Harry unwittingly sets a snake on his cousin using the power of Parseltongue – proved that the show is fully embracing the 1990s aesthetic. This was surprisingly missing from the original adaptation, despite the fact that production started on the tail end of the decade.They also proved that the show is taking its source material much more literally than the movies.Dudley Dursley with his friend Piers Polkiss at the London ZooFilming for the HARRY POTTER TV series lasted a day yesterday in the penguin enclosure and reptile house pic.twitter.com/FZwNewJ0wJ— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) July 17, 2025Shots from London Zoo showed Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Harry’s cousin. They also revealed that he will be accompanied to London Zoo by his friend and lackey, Piers Polkiss (portrayed by Mickey McAnulty).While the character is relatively minor in the books, he does bolster Dudley’s image as a full-blown bully – both at home on Privet Drive and at Harry and Dudley’s school. The character was omitted from the films, likely due to casting and budget constraints. Technically, his character isn’t really essential to the story, but his presence does emphasize just how much Harry suffers in his pre-Hogwarts life.With Piers included in the show, it does drive home the extent to which Warner Bros. is adhering to its source material this time around. Due to the time pressures of film, it’s not uncommon for studios to cut unnecessary characters when possible – especially when the source material is as long and complex as the Harry Potter books.