Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic features interviews with cast members and will air on 5 April
HBO has more Harry Potter magic up its sleeve – today, the company announced a standalone, behind-the-scenes special to accompany its upcoming TV adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic will offer “an in-depth look at the making of the first season”, including plenty of production footage and details on the lengthy, UK-wide casting process for Harry, Ron and Hermione, played by Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton.
A teaser for the special, released on Thursday, shows interviews with cast members such as John Lithgow and Paapa Essiedu, who play Professors Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape, as well as time with numerous craftspeople who designed the updated Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. “To play in a sandbox this big, it really is incredible,” says one set designer over a model of a school castle. “We’re adding a level of world-building beyond what the audience is familiar with.”
According to an official synopsis, the special, narrated by series actor Nick Frost (Hagrid), provides “an inside look at the epic scale and meticulous care behind HBO’s new Harry Potter series – told through the lens of the artists, craftspeople and technicians bringing JK Rowling’s beloved books to life for a new generation”.
