Harry Potter art director reacts to design of new HBO series – and reveals his hopes

by

With the new HBO Harry Potter series nearing release, it’s clear the show is taking a lot of visual cues from the original films, and fans have mixed feelings about this approach.

As a fan, I’ve been really excited looking at the first pictures and trailers. What stands out to me is how much the sets and costumes seem to stay true to the original movies, which started way back in 2001. It’s cool to see they haven’t changed things too much!

I recently read an interview with Gary Tomkins, who was a key part of the art team on the Harry Potter films. He actually thinks some of the changes made from the books weren’t a negative at all, and I kind of agree! It’s interesting to hear that perspective from someone who was right there on set.

He shared that he remains deeply impressed with the incredible designs Stuart Craig created for the films.

I hope some of the original feeling comes through in the show’s sets, though of course the new team has updated and put their own spin on things.

I’ve always known his heart truly belongs with the original films – they were a decade of his life, after all! He’s really excited to see how a new generation will experience them, and he thinks giving the story more time to unfold will be fantastic. It’s wonderful to hear him so enthusiastic about this new take.

Tomkins was especially involved in creating Hogwarts Castle, which was a surprisingly difficult process. As the project evolved, they continually had to build and add new sections.

Craig created a detailed initial sketch – a foundational plan, really – and then the rest of the team, like architects designing a building, used that to develop the complete design, which we called the castle.

We filmed in real locations – Gloucester and Durham – and the footage blended seamlessly with our vision for the project, just as we’d hoped.

As the films continued, the castle’s design had to be updated because the script evolved and introduced new elements. This meant the castle looked different in each movie. It’s actually quite unique – I’ve never worked on a project where consistent design wasn’t important, but in this case, we could explain any changes with magic!

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter in Leavesden has launched a new summer experience called ‘First Year at Hogwarts.’

Tomkins believes the Studio Tour is a great way to recognize the often-overlooked people who work behind the scenes to create movies – the ones who truly make the magic happen.

He explained that this was a great chance to showcase all the hard work and detail that goes into creating the sets, props, costumes, and everything else you see.

Details often get lost when you see something on screen, but here you can get a really close look and appreciate the incredible amount of work that went into every piece.

JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has received criticism for her opinions on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a detailed essay explaining her views on sex and gender, but LGBTQ+ organizations like Stonewall disputed and criticized it.

J.K. Rowling has publicly expressed her opinions on social media, most recently in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter). In that post, she stated that she doesn’t believe in the concept of transgender children and argued against the idea that someone’s gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

In May 2025, J.K. Rowling created the JK Rowling Women’s Fund to provide financial support for legal battles focused on protecting women’s rights as defined by biological sex.

The main actors from the Harry Potter films—Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson—have spoken out against J.K. Rowling’s views and expressed support for the transgender community. However, some other cast members, like Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, and Jim Broadbent, have come to Rowling’s defense amid the criticism she’s faced.

The Harry Potter series will stream on HBO Max.

Authors

Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor

Louise Griffin edits the Sci-Fi & Fantasy section at TopMob, where she writes about popular franchises like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Marvel, House of the Dragon, and Good Omens. Before joining TopMob, she was a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Metro and holds a degree in English Literature.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-05-13 19:40