Harry Potter reboot is 'really rooted in the real' for one key reason
The costume designers behind the new Harry Potter revival series have explained the thinking behind HBO's adaptation.
The Harry Potter revival will be "really rooted in the real".
The upcoming HBO reboot of JK Rowling's wizarding saga - which is being released at Christmas 2026 - will use costumes to make people believe magic could be "around that corner", rather than an otherworldly concept.
Speaking in new behind the scenes documentary Finding Harry: The Craft Behind The Magic, assistant costume designer Jason Airey explained: "It's not high fantasy. It's really rooted in the real.
“I think that would hopefully make people think maybe it is around that corner — or look at a person, walking down the street and think, ‘Oh, I’ve just seen a magical person.’ ”
To create a vision for magical people, the team took photos of strangers to bring together an "inky, moody, natural palette".
Costume designer Holly Waddington noted that the witches and wizards will still feel "a little bit other".
She explained: "For magical people, we had to find how we present them that feels somehow a little bit other."
As for Muggles - non-magical folk - the team were adamant the costumes should fit the era of the books faithfully.
Holly said: "We did a full study of what people were wearing in 1991, and we tried to make the Muggles feel as true as we possibly could make them.
“The Muggle palette is pastel-oriented, very cold colours, and there’s a big emphasis on synthetic fabrics.”
When it comes to Harry - with Dominic McLaughlin taking over the iconic role from Daniel Radcliffe - the team wanted his clothes to "hang off him" and look "greyed out", as he is wearing cast-offs from his cousin Dudley Dursley.
As for finding the right actor for The Boy Who Lived, casting director Lucy Bevan noted that they were impressed by McLaughlin's "quiet confidence".
Reflecting on their casting notes for the search for Harry, Bevan revealed: "'[Harry's] sceptical of the adult world. He’s got a vulnerability and a melancholy and a solitary quality to him'.
“It’s basically: find an incredible actor, age 10.”
Her fellow casting director Emily Brockmann added: "He means so much to people in different ways.
"You’re looking for a kid who, perhaps on the face of it, looks quite ordinary but is ultimately very extraordinary.”
