Work on the first season of HBO's Harry Potter—adapting The Philosopher's Stone—will continue into next year, and sets are still being constructed, including one very familiar location.
Thanks to The Sun, we have a first look at the all-new Diagon Alley, though it's likely to be familiar to many of you. Much of the signage differs, and the buildings aren't exactly the same, but at first glance, this doesn't look all that different from what we saw in the movies.
The tabloid spoke with the source who took these photos, and they promised that there will be elements of Diagon Alley that are new to viewers.
"There is a whole new part that wasn’t in the first films. It’s completely different and it has a different feel," they shared. "The street is two layers. The wand shop is a little different but the main difference is the bank."
"I don’t think they’re allowed to do the same as the films, apart from the general Harry Potter story, so the design will be very different," they continued. "The joke shop is in a different place and does not look anything like the original."
Ultimately, the Harry Potter TV series is based on the same J.K. Rowling novels as the movies, so expecting anything drastically new would be foolish. We've already seen that the Hogwarts Express is identical. However, enough subtle changes—including a deeper dive into the characters and stories from books glossed over or missed in theaters due to time constraints—should help make the show feel entirely its own.
It's interesting that changes have been made to the layout of Diagon Alley, and the new Gringotts sounds intriguing, given what an iconic structure it was on the big screen.
We still don't know when an official look at the series will be revealed, but even with set photos like these finding their way online, it likely won't be until next year.
Check out this new look at the Harry Potter set in the X posts below.
Dominic McLaughlin has been cast in the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
Joining them will be Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe, and William Nash as Gregory Goyle.
Harry Potter's adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout, Richard Durden as Cuthbert Binns, Bríd Brennan as Madam Poppy Pomfrey, and Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick.
The series will also feature Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, and Leigh Gill as Griphook.
Harry Potter is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
HBO's Harry Potter TV series premieres in 2027.