HBO's Harry Potter series filming at London Zoo casts young lead

The first behind-the-scenes photos from HBO's Harry Potter TV series have surfaced online, offering fans their initial glimpse of the young lead actor and his Muggle relatives, the Dursley family.

Production commenced this week at London Zoo, recreating the pivotal moment from the first Harry Potter book where young Harry (played by newcomer Dominic McLaughlin) accidentally releases a snake upon his bullying cousin Dudley during a zoo visit.

The leaked images reveal Dudley (Amos Kitson), Aunt Petunia (Bel Powley) and Uncle Vernon (Daniel Rigby) in character-accurate costumes showcasing deliberately outdated fashion. Dudley appears in a tracksuit typical of the era, while Vernon sports thick-rimmed glasses and a thick mustache with his patterned shirt.

These visual choices align perfectly with the novels' original timeline - Dudley celebrates his eleventh birthday in June 1991, just months before Harry's inaugural journey to Hogwarts.

While J.K. Rowling's beloved book series debuted in 1997, the narrative begins several years earlier. The final book's epilogue jumps forward nineteen years to 2017, showing the protagonists as adults with their own children.

Zoo visitors witnessed filming firsthand as cameras followed actors through various exhibits. This public location shoot will likely remain one of the few exterior scenes for the first season, with most production occurring at Warner Bros.' Leavesden Studios.

The studio complex is currently expanding to include an actual school facility capable of accommodating up to 600 young cast members as principal photography intensifies.

FIRST LOOK AT THE DURSLEYS pic.twitter.com/1mIHKsJv5P

— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) July 17, 2025

Warner Bros. and HBO envision adapting each novel into its own season across approximately eight to ten years of production. The debut season is scheduled for release in 2027.

To commemorate production launch, HBO unveiled Malcolm McLaughlin's official portrait as Harry Potter wearing Hogwarts robes last week. This was followed by images showcasing Nick Frost (of Shaun of the Dead fame) transformed into Hagrid.

Several major cast members remain unseen in costume, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu portraying Severus Snape, Paul Whitehouse as caretaker Argus Filch, and Katherine Parkinson taking on the role of Molly Weasley.