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Harry Potter fans divided over major difference between upcoming reboot and original after first glimpse revealed

Home> Entertainment> TV

Updated 09:08 15 Jul 2025 GMT+1Published 09:00 15 Jul 2025 GMT+1

Harry Potter fans divided over major difference between upcoming reboot and original after first glimpse revealed

The HBO TV adaptation is looking to put its own stamp on the franchise

Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper

We have our first official look at the upcoming TV adaptation of JK Rowling's Harry Potter – and not everyone is impressed.

The highly anticipated TV reboot of the legendary wizarding series is currently in production ahead of an expected 2027 release, with the first season expected to focus on the events of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

In the meantime, HBO has been teasing details about the upcoming series, including key castings for iconic characters such as Professors Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape as well as who will be taking over the roles of Harry and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

It was revealed earlier this year that Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout would be taking over the roles of the golden trio, originally made famous by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

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Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout are thye new Harry. Ron and Hermione (Aidan Monaghan/HBO)
Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout are thye new Harry. Ron and Hermione (Aidan Monaghan/HBO)

HBO has now revealed a first glimpse from behind-the-scenes of filming, sharing a first-look image of McLaughlin in character as Harry Potter.

In the image, the 11-year-old is decked out in Hogwarts robes and Gryffindor colours behind a clapperboard for Season one, episode 01.

Fans were of course excited to see their first peak of the upcoming series, however not everyone was onboard with the new take on the boy who lived – and it has nothing to do with there being a different actor than Radcliffe.

Have a look at McLaughlin's costume below and see if you can spot any major differences.

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Harry Potter fans were treated to their first look at the character (HBO)
Harry Potter fans were treated to their first look at the character (HBO)

If you haven't brushed up on your Harry Potter knowledge and are unsure what's amiss about this depiction of Harry then take a closer look at the actor's forehead, as people are upset about the placement of his trademark lightning bolt scar.

While Radcliffe's Harry featured a prominent, reddish scar sitting directly above his eyebrow, McLaughlin's sits on the side of his forehead, close to his temple.

The lightning bolt is also a lot fainter, prompting fans to moan about the costume decision online.

"Thought the scar would be bigger. The scar being extremely recognisable is a plot point in almost every book," wrote one person in response to the announcement on social media, while a second noted: "Are they putting the scar on his far left?"

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"Is the scar on his temple," a third added.

However not everyone was mad about the placement, with one fan noting the new scar looked more realistic, writing: "No but I love the fact his scar looks like a real scar and not just a lightening bolt drawn in red pen!"

How is Harry Potter's lightning bolt scar described in the books?

Meanwhile Daniel Radcliffe's Harry had his scar further over to the side (Warner Bros)
Meanwhile Daniel Radcliffe's Harry had his scar further over to the side (Warner Bros)

It's worth pointing out that Warner Bros wasn't exactly faithful to Harry's original book description either, with the films showing the wizard's eyes to be blue rather than green.

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Illustrations for the novels depict the distinctive scar being in right in the middle of Harry's forehead, between the eyebrows.

Meanwhile, book descriptions of the chosen one are decidedly vague, with a passage from the Philosopher's Stone reading: "Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning."

Featured Image Credit: (HBO)

Topics: Harry Potter, HBO, TV, TV and Film, Books

Brenna Cooper
Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper is a journalist at LADbible. She graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in History, followed by an NCTJ accredited masters in Journalism. She began her career as a freelance writer for Digital Spy, where she wrote about all things TV, film and showbiz. Her favourite topics to cover are music, travel and any bizarre pop culture.

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@_brencoco

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