HBO's Harry Potter revealed the first footage of Lord Voldemort in the upcoming reboot. Set to premiere on Christmas Day 2026 on HBO and HBO Max, Season 1 is an eight-episode adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and this longer format allows the series to open the story in a way the 2001 movie of the same name never could by showing the night that created "the Boy Who Lived." Set photos shared by Wizarding World Direct in October 2025 (via X) depict a Halloween evening in 1981, the same night Lord Voldemort murdered James and Lily Potter in Godric's Hollow and cast the Killing Curse at Harry.
The official trailer for HBO's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone provided the first clear look at Lord Voldemort's presence in the upcoming reboot. At the 2:09 mark of the trailer, a hooded figure can be seen walking toward the Potter cottage in Godric's Hollow.
This fateful night in 1981 kick-started Harry Potter's story in the books. Including this moment in the trailer suggests that the series appears ready to show it in greater detail, including Voldemort's arrival, the attack, and the rebounding curse that left him bodiless and left Harry with the lightning-bolt scar.
The original film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, only provided a glimpse of the important moments of the attack, showing a brief flashback of Voldemort killing Lily Potter and casting the Killing Curse on a baby Harry.
This major pivot in Harry Potter Season 1 completely changes how Voldemort functions in the reboot, giving him a bigger role in the flashbacks and providing more insight into his involvement in the latter part of the story.
In the book and the first movie, Lord Voldemort is mostly a name people refuse to speak until the final chamber, when his face appears on the back of Professor Quirrell's head. Luke Thallon is set to portray Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and the trailer also provided the first look at the sinister Hogwarts professor.
Professor Quirinus Quirrell, the current Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, hides Voldemort's essence or face on the back of his head under a large turban. Together, they try to steal the Philosopher's Stone, a necessary ingredient needed to produce the Elixir of Life. Voldemort needs it to regain a physical body and become immortal again.
The trailer also included a scene of James and Lily Potter having a good time during what appears to be the same night of when Lord Voldemort attacks them.
Including this scene means that the series is poised to flesh out Lily and James Potter, showing the life that was taken from them while also understanding their backstory more and their defiance against Lord Voldemort.
Watch the official trailer for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone below:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is expected to stay faithful to the first novel while giving Lord Voldemort more presence than the films allowed.
HBO's Harry Potter reboot is already renewed for Season 2, and is currently filming the show's sophomore run. The core trio of Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout looks older for Season 2 filming, meaning that the show's strategy of releasing seasons every year is on the right track to ensure its book-accurate plan.
What Voldemort's Extended Presence In Harry Potter Season 1 Truly Means
HBO's Harry Potter Season 1 is expected to adapt Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone accurately from the novel, meaning that Lord Voldemort remains a shade and a haunting presence until the final confrontation when it showed his face on the back of Professor Quirrell's head.
Still, his extended presence carries a lot of weight, especially if the show decides to showcase Lord Voldemort's full terror during the fateful Halloween night in Godric's Hollow when he murdered Lily and James Potter. Showing how he killed them while also potentially unveiling his other victims could raise the stakes and elevate the reboot's version of the Dark Lord as a formidable threat.
Season 1 does not need to fully showcase Lord Voldemort's reign of terror in the Wizarding World. The show's debut season only needs to make the cost specific by zeroing in on the Potters. Voldemort's goal of retrieving the Philosopher's Stone to regain his body creates new meaning if Season 1 shows why he needs one in the first place. An expanded Godric's Hollow sequence would make that hunger visible from the start.
At this stage, there is no casting news yet for Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter reboot, meaning that his face will mostly be obscured in the flashback and leaning more on CGI in the scenes involving Professor Quirrell. Despite that, giving him a more significant presence is key to understanding the Dark Lord's fall and efforts to regain the power he once lost.
