Side-by-side shots of the Harry Potter trailer and OG films have exposed infuriating details

The upcoming Harry Potter reboot got its first proper trailer this week, but in between people desperately trying to separate the art from the artist (and failing), there have been a couple of annoying details made painfully clear. 

It’s been 15 years since the final Harry Potter film hit cinemas, but we all know that streaming services LOVE a blatant cash grab. Enter HBO’s new Harry Potter series, which is set to chronicle each of the books across individual seasons. 

This week, the first trailer was released, and it showed some first looks at characters and returning iconic locations. But it’s given way to new criticism, and for once, it’s not directly about the author’s side quest as a keyboard warrior slamming 0.5 per cent of the population. 

People have clocked two major issues in the Harry Potter trailer 

The first, and perhaps the most obvious criticism, is the colour grading. Yawn, I know, but there’s no denying that more modern films are drab, grey, and lifeless. It’s never clearer than in side-by-side shots comparing the OG films and the new series. 

“A 2001 movie looks visually much more interesting and better executed, even with the limitations of the time, than a 2026 giant-budget series,” one person said. 

“The complete erasure of colour and competent lighting in film and TV has got to stop. Everything this decade has been a grey, sludgy mess. Reflective of the times, I suppose,” another said. 

Harry Potter at the Sorting Ceremony in The Movies vs The Series 🪄 pic.twitter.com/JWDANClw34

— ϟ (@ExpectoPatronum) September 2, 2026

For a show about a fantastical land of magic, it’s giving corporate advertisement. 

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The second criticism, and one that’s been a major factor in all conversations surrounding the reboot, is why: Why are they remaking a franchise that’s not even 20 years old? 

In fact, beyond a few minor changes and additions from the books, the projects seem practically identical, right down to the Great Hall. 

“The new Harry Potter trailer just dropped, and the reason we’re all universally upset is that they’ve made it look almost exactly like the original—the Great Hall is the same, the Hogwarts uniforms are virtually unaltered, the dialogue is eerily familiar—while swapping out enough details to make it feel more like an assault on the original rather than a complete reinterpretation of Rowling’s iconic books,” one person said. 

jk rowling aside… it’s just likee… the need for a new adaptation of harry potter was just not needed 😭😭😭 https://t.co/20Krn8u8XM

— ✰ⓝ🅴🅿︎🆃🆄🅽🅴ⓦ🅰︎🆅🅴🆈✰ (@neptunewavey) September 2, 2026

It’s leading most people to one question: What’s the bloody point? If it’s going to be a carbon copy of the OG films, why spend millions recreating it? Oh, we know, money! It’s always money. 

We’re now just a couple of months away from HBO’s Harry Potter series, which means Twitter is quickly becoming a battleground between hardcore Potter fanatics and people who, I don’t know, kinda like human rights for everyone. The simple fact is: Whichever way you spin it – whether that be feeding your inner child or just loving the books – JK Rowling has stated that she is using her personal wealth to fund her ongoing persecution of trans people. 

Watching the show adds to that personal wealth. 

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Featured image credit: HBO