The first look trailer for the new Harry Potter TV adaptation has already broken records for HBO.
After its release earlier this week, the teaser clip, which offered a first glance at newcomer Dominic McLaughlin as the boy wizard, notched up 277 million organic views across platforms in its first 48 hours online.
This made the promo video the most watched trailer in HBO and streamer HBO Max’s history, exceeding the previous record by more than double according to Deadline.
The eight episode series is an adaptation of JK Rowling’s first Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The 2001 movie version of the 1997 book made Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe and his co-stars Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) into international stars.
The two-minute trailer for the show, which will be released in December 2026, also gave a first glimpse at the new stars taking on iconic characters, such as John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as gamekeeper and confidante Rubeus Hagrid and Paapa Essiedu as potions teacher – and Harry’s longtime foe – Professor Snape.
It also introduced viewers to Arabella Stanton as Hermione and Alastair Stout as Ron.
The show has attracted backlash since it was announced back in 2021. Author Rowling has repeatedly made controversial comments about the transgender community, and some members of the new cast have distanced themselves from her views.
Lithgow recently revealed that he considered quitting the project over the backlash, and clarified that he disagrees with Rowling’s views on transgender rights, while Frost has said that the author is “allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine – they just don’t align in any way, shape or form”.
Earlier this week, HBO CEO Casey Bloys confirmed that the production has a “serious security team” after Essiedu revealed that he had received racist death threats following his casting as Snape.
“With all actors on any kind of big IP shows – and this is obviously one of those where you’ve got, you know, passionate fans, people with a lot of opinions – it can get scary in places,” Bloys said.
“So for any show like that, we anticipated it and tried to have training, you know, best practices in terms of social media and how to handle it,” he added. “And obviously, we’ve got a serious security team. So unfortunately, it was something that we thought might happen and we just try to be as careful as we can.”
