'Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic': What Did We Learn From the Special About the Most Awaited Series of 2026?

On April 5, HBO released a special episode of Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic, a half-hour documentary about the making of the upcoming series about the young wizard.

The show is scheduled to premiere in December 2026, and the special was the first full look at the highly anticipated project.

Here are the most interesting things we learned from the documentary.

How the "Golden Trio" of Actors Who Played Harry, Hermione, and Ron Were Found

To find the main characters – Harry, Ron, and Hermione – the show's casting directors, Emily Brockmann and Lucy Bevan, conducted over 40,000 auditions. Alastair Stout, who plays Ron, auditioned in Manchester. The directors immediately found him to be exactly what Harry Potter's best friend should be: charming and funny.

Arabella Stanton auditioned in London. She recited William Ernest Henley's poem Invictus and then performed a humorous skit to show her range.

Dominic McLaughlin, who plays Harry, won the directors over in a different way. He auditioned in Glasgow and recited an original poem. The show's creators noted his quiet confidence, a quality that suits a boy who survived the Killing Curse perfectly.

The Magical Creatures in the Series Are Handmade Animatronics

Series production designer Mara Lepere-Schlup explained that her main goal was to infuse the wizarding world with magical realism. Consequently, the creators opted for minimal computer-generated special effects.

Each magical animal featured in the series was created based on hours of research and observation of its natural counterpart.

The owls that deliver mail to Hogwarts, for example, are made of metal and plastic and are designed to mimic the movements of real birds. Each feather is individually attached to the frame. Approximately 36,000 feathers are required for each owl, and ten owls were made for the show.

Scabbers, Ron's pet rat, has an improved animatronic version with motors that mimic the animal's natural movements.

The series will also feature a toad whose movements are directly inspired by nature, slimy Flobberworms, and fire-breathing crabs with autonomous, remote-controlled mechanisms.

The Appearance of Wizards Will Be Very Different From That of Muggles

The Harry Potter costume designers sought to create a clear contrast between the clothing of wizards and Muggles. To accomplish this, they carefully studied the clothing worn in 1991, the setting of the first season.

Muggle clothing was designed to look realistic and authentic to the era. In contrast, wizarding wardrobes were designed to be as unusual and eccentric as possible. For example, Albus Dumbledore's coat features a leaf print.

Particular attention was paid to Harry Potter. His plain, baggy clothes hang off him because they are hand-me-downs from his much larger cousin, Dudley.

Where to Watch 'Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic'?

Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic is available to stream on HBO Max.