Harry Potter HBO series reveals first look at the Hogwarts Express

HBO's Harry Potter series has made one of the most integral reveals from the show, as fans finally got their first glimpse at the Hogwarts Express! The vehicle, as a set piece, was seen being transported to set and the good news is that it looks very similar to the original train.

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The Hogwarts Express will be one of the most important props on the show, as it's where a lot of scenes take place as Ron, Hermione and Harry chatter on their way to Hogwarts. Important scenes include Harry, Ron and Hermione's intro scene in the first book, Harry's first time seeing a Dementor in the third book, Draco freezing Harry in the sixth book, among others.

The show is seeing steady progress as of now, with developments and production taking place. The first look at the Hogwarts Express marks a crucial update for the show's development. All we now need to see is HBO's version of Hogwarts Castle.

More details about HBO's Harry Potter series

Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alistair Stout (Image via Instagram @/arabellastantonofficial)

Hogwarts is officially back, and this time it's coming to your couch in epic TV form. HBO's Harry Potter series, landing in early 2027 is all set to give fans a full-blown decade-long ride through the wizarding world. Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alistair Stout are leading as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, joined by John Lithgow as Albus Dumbldore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.

Behind the curtains, Francesca Gardiner is running the show with Mark Mybod serving as the director. Casting took place with over 32000 hopeful auditions as the studio scouted for their perfect Golden Trio. Filming started in July 2025 at Leavesden Studios, where the original Harry Potter films took place. With J.K. Rowling herself being on board, the show is shaping up for the perfect reboot.

In 2023, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content made the announcement as she reassured fans that the show would be "faithful" to the original books. As reported by Deadline, she said,

“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way. Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”

Unlike the films, the show will have a better shot at having narratives that are more accurate to the books as the films had to cut down on quite a lot of content to fit into the time limit. The show will focus on one year of Hogwarts per season, giving the story more room to breathe. This means you can watch out for all the iconic scenes the films removed, like Professor Binns, Percy Weasley's story arc, Peeves the poltergeist and Lord Voldemort's past.