The first set photos of Privet Drive and a planned "small metropolis" for HBO's Harry Potter reboot series have appeared online. In a move that has proven controversial, Warner Bros. is rebooting Harry Potter as a seven-season HBO series that will span over a decade. Production is poised to begin this summer in the U.K., seemingly with plans to premiere in 2026 or 2027.
The HBO reboot recently took a big step forward in announcing its first six actors to play Dumbledore (John Lithgow), McGonagall (Janet McTeer), Snape (Paapa Essiedu), Hagrid (Nick Frost), and other major characters. Casting for the young British actors who will play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger is still underway, but HBO is inching closer to finding its Golden Trio after receiving thousands of audition tapes for the leading roles.
As HBO gears up to start filming its Harry Potter reboot series, new photos appeared online of Privet Drive (the Dursleys' muggle home where Harry was raised). The images mark the first look at a mini-city under construction for the seven-season show at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Watford, England.
The street of Picket Post Close in Bracknell, England doubled for 4 Privet Drive in the fictional Surrey town of Little Whinging in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. That real-world location was abandoned for the subsequent Wizarding World flicks, being replaced with a replica at Leavesden Studios.
An exclusive report from The Sun elaborated on Warner Bros.' plans for the Harry Potter set, noting that it will construct a £1 billion ($1.32 billion) city at the Leavesden complex. This will feature new roads, multi-story car parks, a medical center, a real school for the young actors, and hangars to store the sets.
The Sun's source noted that Warner Bros. sees the expense construct as a "worthwhile investment" that will eventually pay off. They described the plans for a "small metropolis" that will not only provide the backdrop for the series, but it also offer all the facilities required by the cast and crew:
Warner Bros are making a huge commitment to the new TV show, looking at making multiple, lengthy series over the next decade. So they see pumping a huge amount of cash in upfront to construct this infrastructure as a worthwhile investment which they’ll eventually get a return on. What they’ll have is a small metropolis which will not only provide the backdrop for the show but all the facilities the huge cast and crew need, too.”
While animals such as cats, dogs, and owls will be used during the Harry Potter filming, the studio stressed that "No animals are housed overnight for this or any other production."
HBO will start production on Harry Potter this summer, with its premiere expected for late 2026 or 2027, kickstarting a seven-season run and what is bound to be one of the biggest TV series in history.
The confirmed cast so far includes John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thalon, and Paul Whitehouse (who appeared in the Harry Potter movies and has been recast for the reboot).
HBO Is Taking Big Steps Forward With Its Harry Potter Show
As Harry Potter will officially start filming in the U.K. this summer, production should be getting underway at some point between June and September. With those dates edging closer and the first professors already cast, it won't be long until HBO finally confirms the Golden Trio who will lead the seven-season epic.
Whenever Warner Bros. finally makes the announcement, they will hopefully take steps to prepare and protect them from online backlash. After all, in recasting the iconic roles, these young actors are bound to receive some hate online, and the studio already had to take action after backlash to the adult Harry Potter cast.
In building a mini-city on the Harry Potter set, Warner Bros. looks to be taking big steps to ensure the wellbeing and comfort of its cast. This is particularly evident with the real school under construction (beyond Hogwarts) to ensure the pre-teens who will turn teenagers during the show can maintain a proper education.
Once production starts up, it's hard to tell how long it will take for Warner Bros. to reveal official looks at the new Harry Potter cast in costume. But photos are bound to leak online, as proven by the Privet Drive set photos, which could prompt HBO to get ahead of things and drop the first images sooner rather than later.
