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‘Incredible downgrade’: Six reasons people are fuming over the new HBO Harry Potter trailer

It's somehow exactly the same, but also completely different

Suchismita Ghosh
3rd September 2026, 14:25
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The new HBO Harry Potter trailer has just been released, and well, Potterheads are not exactly throwing their Hogwarts acceptance letters in the air with excitement.

The HBO series is set to retell the story from the books, with a completely new cast taking over the roles we’ve known for nearly 25 years. But within minutes of the trailer dropping, people on Twitter were comparing almost every detail to the original films.

Here are all the details people are already dragging about the new Harry Potter series.

The colour grading is giving very little magic

One of the biggest complaints about the trailer is how dark and grey everything looks. People have been comparing the new footage to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone from 2001, and the difference is pretty obvious. The original film had loads of warm colours and bright lighting, especially when Harry first discovers the wizarding world.

Now, people think the new series looks much more gloomy. One person posted a comparison and said the trailer was a “direct attack on warm lighting, magic, and whimsy”, adding that “the entire trailer feels dark and grim”.

Another person wrote, “Crazy how old movies used to have dynamic colours and now everything is just dark, grey, and blue.”

People think Hogwarts looks exactly the same

The Great Hall, Hogwarts uniforms and loads of the production design look incredibly similar to the original films, which has left people wondering how different this adaptation is actually going to be.

One theory doing the rounds is that Warner Bros. simply can’t change too much because so much of the Wizarding World already uses the original film designs.

Hogwarts has been recreated in Universal theme parks, Harry Potter Studios in London and countless pieces of merchandise, from Lego sets to toys and games.

There is also the obvious fact that Hogwarts is described in the books, so some similarities are to be expected. But after nearly 25 years of the films being the visual version of Harry Potter for fans, the comparisons were always going to happen.

The new cast are being compared to the original actors

Some viewers think the new actors are actually taking inspiration from the performances of the original cast. Nick Frost’s Hagrid has already been compared to Robbie Coltrane’s version, while Janet McTeer’s McGonagall has reminded people of Maggie Smith.

One person on Twitter described the whole thing as looking “exactly the same” despite having a different cast.

At this point, it seems the new cast are going to have a very difficult job convincing people they’re watching a completely new version rather than a new group of actors stepping into roles everyone already knows.

The troll is getting absolutely dragged

The troll scene has also become one of the biggest memes from the trailer. Instead of people being impressed by the updated CGI, viewers have been comparing the new troll to the one from the 2001 film.

One post asked, “Is the Troll in the Harry Potter series an upgrade or a downgrade?”

Someone else replied to a trailer post, “What an incredible downgrade from the original film.”

Another person asked, “How is it possible that the film adaptation made 26 YEARS AGO looks so much better than this adaptation with CURRENT technology?”

Which is, admittedly, not the reaction HBO was probably hoping for when showing off its new CGI.

The Hogwarts uniforms barely look different

People have also noticed that the Hogwarts uniforms are incredibly close to the original films. One viewer posted a comparison and asked why the new production had redesigned some of the details when so much of the uniform still looks practically identical.

The whole thing has added to the argument that HBO is trying to make the series feel new without actually changing the things people remember most.

And when you’ve got millions of people who have spent years looking at the original Hogwarts uniforms, they’re obviously going to notice even the smallest differences.

People still don’t understand why we needed another Harry Potter

The new series does have one major advantage over the films, which is more time to properly adapt the seven books. That means storylines and details that had to be cut from the films can potentially get more space. But the trailer has made some people feel like they’re getting the same story, same locations, same costumes and even similar performances, just with different actors.

One person called it “basically shot for shot the original.” They said it had “no reason to be made” other than the fact it will probably be hugely successful.

And then there’s the wider Harry Potter conversation around JK Rowling and her public views on trans people. For some former fans, that alone is enough reason to stay away from the reboot. Trans people deserve to exist without having their rights turned into a culture-war talking point. And understandably, some people don’t want to financially support the wider franchise anymore.

But despite that, the new Harry Potter series is still going to have plenty of people tuning in. The real question is whether the trailer has convinced you to watch it, or put you off completely.

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