New HBO special reveals first look at the making of the Harry Potter reboot

HBO will debut a special on April 5 revealing how the new Harry Potter series is being created at Leavesden Studios

HBO is giving fans their first major look inside the production of its upcoming television adaptation of the beloved wizarding saga with a new behind the scenes special titled Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic.

The special will premiere on April 5 and offers an early glimpse at how the highly anticipated reboot of the Harry Potter books is being brought to life. Cameras follow the production team as they build the magical world during filming of the first season, which is currently underway at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.

A newly released trailer for the special highlights the immense scale of the production. Viewers see camera operators capturing scenes of Hogwarts students moving through the school corridors and surrounding woods while artists and designers work on intricate models and full scale sets.

Production designer Mara LePere-Schloop appears in the footage explaining the challenge of expanding the magical universe for television. She is shown designing miniature models before overseeing the construction of large practical sets that recreate locations within Hogwarts.

The special also includes appearances from several actors involved in the new series. Janet McTeer, who portrays Professor McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu, who takes on the role of Professor Severus Snape, speak about their first experiences stepping onto the elaborate sets.

Another emotional moment comes from John Lithgow, who plays Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the new adaptation. Reflecting on the cultural significance of the franchise, Lithgow says the stories represent an extraordinary phenomenon and describes the opportunity to reinterpret the world as a meaningful creative challenge.

The actor notes that the television format allows the story to breathe in new ways. According to Lithgow, the show will explore elements of the narrative that previously remained off screen, expanding the universe beyond what audiences saw in earlier adaptations.

The upcoming HBO series is designed as a long form retelling of the original novels by J. K. Rowling, with each season expected to adapt one book from the globally successful fantasy series. By moving to a television format, the producers hope to include storylines and details that were condensed or omitted in the earlier film adaptations.

The teaser also emphasises the sheer scale of the production. LePere-Schloop describes the project as a dream for designers, explaining that the creative team is aiming to capture the joy, imagination and sense of discovery associated with being a young wizard discovering magic for the first time.

As anticipation builds for the series itself, the behind the scenes special will serve as the first official introduction to the ambitious project.

For fans eager to return to Hogwarts, the special promises a rare opportunity to witness the magic being built before the story reaches screens.