HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series is using the same virtual production technology – known as ‘The Volume’ – that was popularized by the recent Star Wars shows. Despite questions about whether a reboot of the Harry Potter films is necessary so soon after the original eight movies concluded, HBO is moving forward with plans for a seven-season TV adaptation. This new series will have more time to develop each book’s story, and it will also take advantage of today’s advanced visual effects and filmmaking techniques to create a believable Wizarding World, building on the practical sets and effects that made Hogwarts feel so authentic.
HBO Max has released a first look at Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic, a new documentary about the making of the reboot series. The trailer suggests that the show will use the same cutting-edge digital set technology – called the Volume and previously used for The Mandalorian – to create scenes like one showing Harry and Ron on the Hogwarts Express.
The Volume is a virtual stage created by ILM’s StageCraft. It uses huge, high-resolution screens to display realistic backgrounds, letting actors perform as if they were actually in the scene. This technology can even create moving or changing backgrounds and lighting, like those seen in the Harry Potter films.
It’s amazing to see the new students arriving! They’re filmed right in front of this incredible digital screen that makes it look like they’re actually speeding through the British countryside on the Hogwarts Express. It’s so convincing, even though they’re really just standing on the Warner Bros. studio lot!
Originally developed for Lucasfilm and The Mandalorian, this innovative virtual set technology has become popular in Hollywood. While Marvel Studios’ use of it in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Thor: Love & Thunder wasn’t very effective, Warner Bros. has achieved stunning visual results with it in House of the Dragon and The Batman.
Recently, Star Wars has been using The Volume—a virtual production technique—less frequently. While it was a key part of making shows like The Mandalorian & Grogu, it’s now being used more selectively, and definitely less overall, for the upcoming second season of Disney+’s Ahsoka.
While HBO is utilizing the Volume—a cutting-edge visual effects stage—for key scenes in the upcoming Harry Potter series, the production will largely rely on practical effects and real sets. The trailer for Finding Harry showcased some of these impressive sets, including a completely redesigned Great Hall.
The impressive sets include a recreation of Hogwarts’ grand entrance hall, where Janet McTeer, playing Professor McGonagall, will welcome the new first-year students.
A recent preview offered a look at the large sets being built at Warner Bros. Studios, and it appears Diagon Alley is among them.
Fans of the Wizarding World will get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Harry Potter series with Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic, which will be available on HBO Max starting April 5th.
Why HBO’s Harry Potter Will Use The Volume Better Than Star Wars
The train used for the Hogwarts Express in HBO’s Harry Potter series is called Wightwick Hall. Built in 1948, it was originally slated for demolition, much like the Olton Hall, which was rescued from the same scrapyard in South Wales to appear in the first Harry Potter films.
As a huge Harry Potter fan, I was so excited to see sneak peeks online! Apparently, some influencers recently visited the Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and shared videos of the new Hogwarts Express. It’s parked right at the Platform 9 3/4 set – you know, the one they built specifically for the new HBO series. It looks amazing!
A Reddit user named Tanzbodeli pointed out that the steam engine HBO plans to use, the Wightwick Hall, isn’t approved for travel on most UK train tracks. This might be why they’re filming a lot of the Hogwarts Express scenes using a special backdrop at the Warner Bros. Leavesden studio, where they can digitally add the Scottish Highlands scenery during filming.
Even though Harry Potter is starting to use the Volume (a virtual production technology), fans don’t need to worry about the show looking less realistic. Warner Bros. has actually been using the Volume more effectively than Disney, who created it, and HBO is still heavily relying on real sets to build the magical world of Hogwarts and bring the Harry Potter universe to life.
With HBO releasing more details about how the Harry Potter series was made before its Christmas premiere, it’s apparent that the production team used the Volume technology as a helpful filming tool, but didn’t rely on it to replace building actual sets.
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2026-04-06 19:05