Harry Potter fans online have a lot of thoughts about the HBO show’s first teaser trailer for “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” Much of the reaction is pretty positive, while some of the reactions are, well, less so. HBO dropped a two-minute trailer that pulled back the veil on its new adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s beloved book series. The trailer quickly introduced all the major characters — including Harry (Dominic McLaughlin), Hermione Granger (Arabella Stanton), Ron Weasley (Alastair Stout), Albus Dumbledore (John Lithgow), Severus Snape (Paapa Essiedu) and Minerva McGonagall (Janet McTeer). The Potter reboot is a hugely important big bet for HBO, so even this first blush reaction from fans can matter. Leading up to the trailer, the fandom seemed split: Some were very excited by the idea of HBO doing a deeper dive into Rowling’s books that fleshed out the story in ways the Warner Bros. films could not. Others took a “I love the movies and don’t need this” stance. Still others were ready to slam the project for various reasons (such as Rowling’s trans views, or gripes about Snape being played by a Black actor). The show will be released this Christmas.
