Construction on the practical sets for HBO's new Harry Potter show is underway, and we've finally gotten our first look at an important one. Most of the biggest roles have been cast and filming will reportedly get underway at Leavesden Studios in England later this summer, likely in late July or August. For now, the show is on track for a 2026 release date.
Before now, the first photos of Privet Drive and the set for Platform 9¾ leaked online, and now we've gotten to see the beginnings of a build for the Great Hall at Hogwarts, a key location in the books and movies.
The Great Hall set is being built for the HARRY POTTER TV series!
— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) July 7, 2025
(via: victoriamaclean) pic.twitter.com/gghgkUERbO
As you can see in the above images, there's not a ton to look at just yet; it appears like the skeleton of the set at the moment, with at least one massive archway being built, probably the entrance. The Great Hall basically functions as the magical school's cafeteria, serving as the big location for all of the students to gather and eat meals. Sometimes meetings and other events and scenes take place there as well. It's known for being massive, with ceilings enchanted to look like the real sky.
This seemingly confirms that Warner Bros. Discovery will be making all-new sets and likely featuring a new design for Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and other important locations like Hogsmeade. The internet has been rife with discussion about how the Harry Potter show would handle sets, wondering if they'd opt to re-use the movie builds or go in a new direction.
I think creating something new is probably the smarter play, though it does make one wonder if they'll eventually change things at the Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios. It's hard to imagine seeing a different version of the iconic Hogwarts castle made famous by the films, but if the show wants to stand apart from them, then this is probably the right move.
Plus, it actually isn't the first time we've seen a fully redesigned Hogwarts. The Harry Potter video games have been adding their own touches for decades, most notably with the recent game Hogwarts Legacy, which featured a totally different Hogwarts design than we've seen before, and it was mostly well-received.
HBO's television take on Harry Potter is meant to be more faithful to J.K. Rowling's book series and anticipated to last several seasons, enough to encompass the full story of all seven books. We previously reported on the "golden trio" casting news, which includes newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley respectively.
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