HBO has begun principal photography on its long-planned live-action Harry Potter television series, releasing a first official image of Scottish newcomer Dominic McLaughlin in the title role on 14 July. Filming is under way at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, the complex that housed much of the original film franchise. The premium network confirmed additional casting, including comedian Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid and six-time Emmy-winner John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore. The project will adapt each of J.K. Rowling’s seven novels into a dedicated season and is expected to span roughly a decade, with the opening episodes scheduled to reach HBO and the Max streaming service in 2027. To accommodate the dozens of child actors required, Warner Bros. is constructing a temporary on-lot school sanctioned by Three Rivers District Council. The modular facility, approved for up to ten years, will operate on weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., serve about 150 students in normal periods and expand to a maximum 600 during crowd shoots, allowing pupils to balance lessons with the series’ daytime and night-time filming schedule.