Summary

Some fans aren't impressed with Hagrid and Harry's looks in HBO's Harry Potter adaptation, causing division among fans.
Similarity to movie counterparts and lack of distinctiveness in costumes have drawn criticism.
HBO's decision to showcase the characters early has backfired, leading to unnecessary negative opinions and potentially harming the show's reception.

Filming recently began on HBO's Harry Potter, with the highly anticipated television adaptation now under development ahead of the 2027 release for the first season. However, Harry Potter fans haven't had to wait until then to get a glimpse of what the characters will look like in this version of the show, as HBO has released a glimpse at two of the lead roles in the series.

Fans have been able to see Nick Frost's version of Hagrid and Dominic McLaughlin in the lead role of Harry himself. While the decision to showcase them ahead of time has pleased many Harry Potter fans, it has done more harm than good overall.

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By Matthew Wilkinson

HBO's Harry Potter Costumes Have Left Fans Divided

Some Fans Are Less Than Impressed With The Look Of Hagrid And Harry

Harry Potter reunion special trailer HBO Max

The decision to reveal how Hagrid and Harry will appear in HBO's Harry Potter adaptation was interesting, which was likely done to build up some hype while also stopping any set leaks from taking place. It makes sense for HBO to get ahead of that with some official photographs, but both characters' costumes and overall appearances have left fans divided already. There are some aspects that people are happy with, such as the more realistic scar that will be on Harry's head throughout this television series. Meanwhile, McLaughlin certainly looks similar to how JK Rowling describes the character, proving that HBO will be loyal to the novels in that regard. However, Frost's appearance as Hagrid has come under fire from some, who haven't been convinced by it. Many fans feel that Hagrid looks slightly too small, while others simply aren't happy with how it has come together.

One big issue that a lot of Harry Potter fans have had is how similar they both look to their movie counterparts. While all of the characters are based on the same descriptions that Rowling originally provided, people were hoping to see some slight tweaks made to ensure that the HBO version of the story. The costumes themselves are where the real problem lies for many, as they're incredibly close to how they looked in the movies, and that has led to some complaints online.

HBO Has Opened Itself Up For Unnecessary Criticism

Harry Potter Was Building A Lot Of Hype Before This

The overall look of the characters and the sets was always going to be divisive, simply due to how popular the Harry Potter movie series was. Comparisons between them were inevitable, and that's precisely what has happened already, with people instantly claiming this version of Harry Potter won't be as good or on the same scale. HBO didn't need to put the television show or the cast members into the firing line for any form of criticism at this stage, as the show's release is so far away that there's no real gain. HBO's Harry Potter was building steady hype without that simply due to the fact that production has begun, while all the various casting announcements have had people excited.

That's why this decision has ended up doing more damage than good. It hasn't grown the excitement surrounding HBO's Harry Potter. Fans aren't desperate to see the show any more than they were just because people have now seen what Harry and Hagrid look like. However, it has led to people having negative opinions on the series before the first episode even airs, which is the exact opposite of what HBO wanted to achieve with this marketing decision.

HBO Should Stop Releasing Photos Of The Cast

Harry Potter Fans Can Enjoy The Big Reveal When The Series Debuts

Hermione, Neville, Harry, Ron, and Ginny at the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter

Of course, there are many cast members whose fans are yet to see, and HBO could easily start showcasing the likes of Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, or Albus Dumbledore, which would get a lot of people talking. However, the risk of the online conversation being negative doesn't outweigh the potential positives of fans enjoying the appearance and costumes. People will stop talking positively long before the show debuts, but negative discourse tends to be a lot harder to get rid of. Therefore, HBO would be smart to stop showcasing how the characters look until the series is much closer to debuting. The series is over a year and a half away from airing on television, so creating anything that will cause negative opinions is simply not worth doing.

Harry Potter fans now have an idea of the route that HBO will be going down with the costumes and the overall looks of the characters, and they can expect them to be similar to the movie versions. However, HBO should now make fans wait to see the rest of the cast until the trailers and the show debut. This way, people can speculate about what the other characters will look like, which will grow the anticipation for Harry Potter, rather than just throwing everything out ahead of time.

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