HBO has released new character posters for its upcoming Harry Potter series, giving fans another look at the young actors taking over as Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
The images feature Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Each holds a wand upright in front of their face beneath the tagline “The First Year Begins.” The series premieres December 25, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max.
THE FIRST YEAR BEGINS ⚡️
New characters posters for HBO’s HARRY POTTER and the Philosopher’s Stone
December 25 on HBO and HBO Max https://t.co/DV8O8wnJ2Q
— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) November 9, 2026
Reactions have been mixed. Some fans remain excited to return to Hogwarts while questioning the latest marketing. Others have found something more entertaining to do with the images: turn them into another round of Malfoid memes.
And for readers hoping this adaptation would finally give Harry his familiar green eyes, the posters have reopened an old debate.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione Take Center Stage
The three posters follow a matching format, placing the young Hogwarts students in their school uniforms with their wands dividing their faces. The close framing puts the emphasis on the new cast rather than magical creatures or sweeping views of Hogwarts.
There are recognizable details throughout, from Harry’s round glasses to Hermione’s bushy hair. Together, the images introduce the trio who will carry the first season’s adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
However, the treatment of those faces has attracted criticism. Creative Bloq highlighted complaints about the posters’ editing, including the impression that the two sides of each face have been awkwardly combined. Fans have even circulated alternate versions that crop out half the face for a simpler composition.
Harry Potter in the television series – HBO Max
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That reaction leaves room for an increasingly familiar position: being interested in the show without being impressed by its advertising.
Everything I see from this show just looks like bad cosplay
— thatstarwarsgirl (@thatstarwarsgrl) November 9, 2026
X user thatstarwarsgirl offered a harsher assessment, writing, “Everything I see from this show just looks like bad cosplay.” Others have compared the images to graphics from the SNES, hardly the association HBO would want for its expensive return to the Wizarding World.
Why Are Harry’s Eyes Still Blue?
One particularly persistent complaint concerns Harry’s eye color. McLaughlin’s eyes appear blue in the promotional images, repeating a departure from the books that readers will remember from Daniel Radcliffe’s portrayal.
Rowling repeatedly describes Harry as having green eyes inherited from his mother, Lily. His resemblance to her becomes a recurring emotional thread, making the detail more memorable than an incidental description of clothing or hairstyle.
Dominic McLaughlin in his wizarding robes as Harry Potter – HBO
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There was a practical explanation for the change in the original films. As the official Harry Potter website explains, Radcliffe had an allergic reaction to the green contact lenses intended to reproduce Harry’s book appearance.
Rowling also allowed flexibility. She explained that the essential point was for Harry’s eyes to resemble his mother’s, rather than insisting they must be green. That gives an adaptation room to preserve the connection without reproducing the exact color.
Still, readers can reasonably wonder why a fresh adaptation has carried over such a recognizable change. It is a small detail, but one the novels repeatedly encourage audiences to notice.
The Posters Become Malfoid Material
Meanwhile, users on X have repurposed the posters as templates for Malfoid edits, bringing the viral female Draco Malfoy concept into HBO’s latest promotional campaign.
The trend imagines Draco as a girl, often pairing the character romantically with Harry. It has already generated fan art, fictional exchanges, and a growing number of AI-generated videos.
Malfoid – schmede_AI, YouTube
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The new posters offer a simple format to remix. Their matching compositions make them an easy starting point for inserting the fan-created character into the lineup.
That suggests HBO’s series could keep supplying fresh material once episodes begin airing. New scenes, expressions, and character interactions would give creators considerably more to work with than a handful of promotional portraits.
Whether that attention translates into enthusiasm for the actual adaptation remains to be seen. HBO has people talking, but the Christmas premiere will need to give audiences something more compelling to discuss than awkward poster editing and Harry’s eyes.
What do you think of HBO’s new Harry Potter posters? Sound off and let us know!
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