HBO Released the First Teaser for the “Harry Potter” Series—and It Has Already Sparked Controversy

A significant share of the audience has responded positively: the teaser has collected around three million likes on Instagram and 187,000 on YouTube, with fans in the comments thanking HBO and saying they “can’t wait” for the premiere.

Some users view the project as an opportunity for a new audience to discover the franchise. “The current generation will finally understand the magic of ‘Harry Potter’,” wrote liveitupwithrajeev under the teaser posted on the series’ official Instagram page. Others expect to see on screen episodes from the books that were omitted from the feature films. Some state outright that they do not accept the Warner Bros. adaptations, pointing to excluded storylines, and see the series as a more suitable format for a full-scale adaptation.

At the same time, as is often the case with major franchise projects, the teaser has also drawn a notable wave of criticism. One of the most common complaints concerns its visual presentation—some viewers argue that the world on screen looks artificial. “It looks like a bad Saturday Night Live sketch,” wrote user AidenCon92 on X. “It feels like people paid to cosplay ‘Harry Potter’ on a set,” added virgovx_ on the same platform.

Another line of criticism concerns a perceived lack of originality. Some viewers argue that the series is visually almost indistinguishable from the Warner Bros. films. “Virtually the same boy in the exact same cupboard and house, the exact same Hogwarts with identical sets, the exact same Hagrid… it’s strange they chose new music,” wrote cultural journalist Sofia Sno on her Telegram channel. In the YouTube comments, user @crumblebee6728 expressed a similar view: “Someone on Reddit called it a ‘live-action remake of a live-action film,’ and I can see why.” A comparable point had earlier been made by Chris Columbus, director of the first Potter films, back in August after the first images of Nick Frost as Hagrid appeared online: “It’s the same costume we created for Hagrid. I thought the new series would be different.”

Some criticism has also focused on the color palette. Viewers note that the image appears muted: while the original film series began with a brighter, more saturated look and shifted to darker tones in later installments, HBO’s series already feels somber from its first season. “That’s what made the films compelling—the contrast between the early and later installments, reflecting the characters and the audience growing up,” wrote @Ranger_67 in the YouTube comments.

At the same time, such remarks often extend beyond this specific project and are directed at the industry as a whole. “I don’t know if it’s post-production or the lighting/camera work on set, but why do 80% of modern films and series look like a gray blur?” wrote tanya.bushuk in a discussion on Threads.

The music has also drawn criticism, with some viewers finding it less distinctive than John Williams’s work. “‘Harry Potter’ without ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ is like a fur coat without herring,” said pianist Nikolai Kurdyumov-Markosyan. Others, however, point out that the score is handled by Hans Zimmer—the composer behind “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Interstellar,” and “Dune”—and argue there is little reason for concern on that front.

The greatest attention has predictably centered on Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape—despite the fact that his character appears for less than a second in the teaser. The debate over casting a Black actor began a year ago, following the official announcement. In essence, it remains the only notable departure from the book canon, aside from, for instance, a slimmer Dudley Dursley, who is described in the novels as very overweight.

Ahead of the teaser’s release, Essiedu said he had received death threats from racists after being cast. HBO chief Casey Bloys confirmed in an interview that the company took these threats seriously and strengthened security measures on set.

Following the teaser’s release, critics’ earlier arguments quickly resurfaced on social media. Some argue that the story will be perceived differently in the new version—particularly the relationships between characters. “It turns everything upside down: James and his friends bully a Black teenager, Lily chooses a racist, and Harry tells [Snape] he doesn’t have to call him ‘sir,’” wrote Threads user grishqamd. “So Harry will suspect the only Black teacher of trying to steal the Philosopher’s Stone?” added @normalguy11.11 in the YouTube comments.

Another strand of criticism concerns the character’s appearance diverging from J.K. Rowling’s description, where Snape is portrayed as having “a hooked nose and sallow, sickly skin.” “The fan community reacted predictably with outrage. There is nothing racist about it—the canon has been broken,” wrote fantasy researcher Maria Shteinman. Film critic Anton Dolin disagreed: “They are clearly not trying to adhere to the canon (and there are already eight films that did, so why do it again?)”.

The discussion has also extended to details of the character’s look. Promotional materials show Snape with dreadlocks and a zip-up jacket under his robes, prompting further reaction. “One of the first things we learn about Snape’s appearance is his greasy hair. And they gave him dreadlocks…,” wrote evedigennaro on Threads. “The zip-up jacket is triggering me. Snape would not wear a zip-up jacket,” added yunuyei.

At the same time, Essiedu’s supporters note that casting choices have drawn criticism before. Alan Rickman was 54 when he played the 31-year-old Snape in the first film. “I genuinely don’t understand why a 55-year-old Rickman playing a 31-year-old character isn’t miscasting, but a Black Snape is somehow a disaster,” wrote eifo_tal on Threads. “He’s a young character full of conflicting emotions, not a life-weary teacher.”

Writer Ivan Filippov also argues that attempts to find a “similar” actor are doomed from the outset. “The best Snape was and will remain Alan Rickman,” he said. “Trying to find someone similar is pointless—by definition, they will lose. That is why the idea of making Snape radically different, placing him in an entirely new category, is a very sound one.”

He adds that the project is strategically important for HBO, and that every decision is carefully calculated. “If the studio opted for such a casting choice, it must have had compelling justification. It is quite possible we will understand this once we see Essiedu in the role—after all, he has two BAFTA nominations and one Emmy nomination.”