Set photos for the new upcoming Harry Potter television series by HBO have just been released, which showcase changes to iconic locations within the wizarding world of the franchise, which you can see here.
According to Screenrant, the first season will consist of eight episodes, which will adapt the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which many have touted will be a more faithful adaptation of the novel due to the fact that the increased runtime will allow for more details and moments to be shown from the novel to the screen. The show is to be headed by Dominic McLaughlin (Grow, Morgenmagazin) as Harry Potter, Arabelle Stanton as Hermione Granger in her debut role, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley in his debut role, as the protagonists of the new series, along with the rest of the iconic Harry Potter cast from the books, which will debut in 2027.
However the latest picture comes from Diagon Alley, one of the most iconic locations in the franchise, from both the novels and films, the picture depicts Madame Primpernelle’s Beautifying Potions, which was first mentioned in a newsletter back in 1999 for the bok series fan club has been added to the set, along with Glissando’s a music shop that is located right above it, as a way to further flesh out the world even if the characters never step inside said locations. However besides these new additions, it appears as if the creators have decided to keep a very similar aesthetic to the films in both of how Diagon Alley itself is, and in the costumes of the actors and extras, which can be seen both as a way to mantain familiarity for viewers as well as a “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it approach” to the design of such an iconic location.
However taking all this into account, considering the similarities, according to Screenrant some have begun to wonder how different the show will actually be to the films, and how much will trully be changing for this adaptation of the franchise and how much will change, as the current debate is not only in how much will change between adaptations, but if these changes will be for the better or for worse.