HBO’s Harry Potter Series: Release Date, Cast and Everything We Know
HBO's Harry Potter series premieres on 25 December 2026. Here's the cast, the episode count, how to watch it in Greece and everything else we know so far.
It’s happening, and it’s happening sooner than anyone expected. HBO’s Harry Potter series, a full TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s seven books, now has a premiere date, a teaser trailer and a cast list long enough to fill the Great Hall. HBO had been saying “early 2027” for a long time, so the Christmas 2026 date caught a lot of people off guard.
Here’s everything we know so far about the show, from the release date and episode count to who’s playing who and how to watch it in Greece.
Full disclosure: Nyx still has the Greek editions from Psichogios on the shelf, spines cracked from being read under the covers long past bedtime. So yes, we have opinions, and we’ll be watching on Christmas Day like everyone else.
When does the Harry Potter series come out?
The Harry Potter series premieres on 25 December 2026, on HBO and HBO Max. Yes, Christmas Day. Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed the date alongside a new teaser trailer, which is a very confident move: they’re betting families will spend the holidays at Hogwarts.
HBO hasn’t said yet whether all the episodes will drop at once or arrive weekly. HBO usually releases its big shows one episode a week (that’s how House of the Dragon and The Last of Us worked), so a weekly rollout running into early 2027 seems likely. We’ll update this article as soon as there’s an official answer.
How many episodes are in season 1?
The first season has eight episodes and adapts the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. That alone tells you why this series exists. A two-and-a-half-hour film has to cut a lot. Eight hours of TV gives room for the things fans have missed for twenty years: Peeves, more of the Dursleys, more of Hogwarts as a school rather than a backdrop for set pieces.
The plan, as HBO has described it from the start, is one season per book, which would make this a seven-season, roughly ten-year project.
Has the Harry Potter series been renewed for season 2?
Yes, before the first episode even aired. In May 2026 HBO renewed the series for a second season adapting Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. That’s partly about confidence and partly about logistics: the young cast is growing up fast, and the show needs to film each season quickly to keep up.
Harry Potter series cast: who’s playing who
The three leads were cast after an open search that reportedly drew tens of thousands of auditions.
- Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
- Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
- Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
The adult cast is stacked with serious British and American talent:
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Albus Dumbledore | John Lithgow |
| Minerva McGonagall | Janet McTeer |
| Severus Snape | Paapa Essiedu |
| Rubeus Hagrid | Nick Frost |
| Vernon Dursley | Daniel Rigby |
| Petunia Dursley | Bel Powley |
| Lucius Malfoy | Johnny Flynn |
| Cornelius Fudge | Bertie Carvel |
Voldemort himself hasn’t been cast yet. Billy Barratt will play the young Tom Riddle when the story reaches Chamber of Secrets in season 2.
John Lithgow as Dumbledore was the first big name confirmed, and it set the tone: this isn’t trying to copy the films. Paapa Essiedu’s casting as Snape got the most attention online, and anyone who has seen him in I May Destroy You knows he can do quiet menace. Nick Frost as Hagrid feels almost too perfect.
Who is making the show?
Francesca Gardiner, who wrote and produced on Succession and His Dark Materials, is the showrunner and writes the series. Mark Mylod, one of Succession’s main directors, directs several episodes and executive produces. J.K. Rowling is an executive producer. Filming began in the summer of 2025 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, outside London, the same studio where all eight films were made.
Is there a trailer?
Yes. HBO released a first teaser in the spring, then a longer official teaser trailer alongside the release date announcement. It gives a first proper look at Dominic McLaughlin’s Harry along with glimpses of Privet Drive and Hogwarts.
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How to watch the Harry Potter series in Greece
Good news for Greek viewers: you won’t need to wait or work around anything. HBO Max launched directly in Greece in January 2026, so the series will stream there from day one. At launch, HBO Max Greece offered two main plans:
- Standard: €10.99 a month, two devices at once, Full HD
- Premium: €15.99 a month, four devices, 4K
HBO Max is also still available through Vodafone TV, which has carried it since February 2025. Prices can change, so check HBO Max for the current plans before you sign up.
Will the series be different from the movies?
That’s the big question, and the honest answer is: we’ll find out on Christmas Day. What we do know points to a show that’s closer to the books. More time means more of the subplots the films cut, more of the side characters, and more space to let the kids just be kids at school.
It also means a very different look. HBO has been clear this isn’t a remake of the films, and the casting choices back that up. Some fans will find that hard. Others have been waiting for exactly this since 2001.
The bottom line
The Harry Potter series premieres on 25 December 2026 on HBO and HBO Max, with eight episodes adapting Philosopher’s Stone and a second season already confirmed. In Greece it streams on HBO Max from day one.
We’ll update this article as new details arrive, and we’ll have our thoughts on the first episodes after the premiere. In the meantime, if you need something to fill the wait, our ranking of The Best Video Game Movies and Series has plenty of great TV to catch up on.