New 'Philosopher's Stone' TV Show Documentary Blows Us Away

Summary

MuggleCast: The Harry Potter Re-Read Podcast

Episode: New 'Philosopher's Stone' TV Show Documentary Blows Us Away
Date: April 6, 2026
Hosts: Andrew, Eric, Micah, Laura

---

Episode Overview

This special episode of MuggleCast dives deep into the freshly-released Finding Harry documentary—a behind-the-scenes first look at HBO’s highly anticipated Harry Potter TV show (Philosopher’s Stone). The hosts dissect the documentary’s reveals about production, creative vision, casting, set design, costumes, and the palpable fan-driven energy guiding the series. Reassured and excited by what they've seen, the MuggleCast team reflects on how the show aims to honor both the books and the fandom while introducing a new, richly detailed Wizarding World.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. First Impressions of The Documentary

• The team is overwhelmingly positive, feeling “respected as a fan” due to the clear intention to do justice to both the story and the broader world of Harry Potter ([01:35] A).
  • “This really feels so much closer to what I originally imagined when I was reading the books before the movies came out.” – Laura ([01:35])
• The documentary’s focus on the creative teams highlights “just how many people it takes to mount a show this big” ([02:59] D).

2. Fan-Driven Production

• Notable that many people working on the show are lifelong fans; some even have generational ties to the film franchise, which the hosts agree is “a really nice touch” ([02:18] B).
• Craftspersons’ continuity: A son now painting the Quidditch box, previously painted by his father in the original films ([02:59] D).

3. Expanding the Wizarding World: Letting the Story Breathe

• John Lithgow (Dumbledore) narrates purpose: the series will “let the story breathe,” exploring “all the rabbit holes”—deeper into side moments that never made it onscreen in the films ([05:20] D).
  • “We’re gonna go down all the rabbit holes and show things happening in the wings that we don’t see.” – John Lithgow ([05:20])
• Assurance of 8 episodes confirmed for Season 1; expectations for even more expansive content (possibly 10 episodes’ worth) ([06:19–06:33]).

4. Extensive Behind-the-Scenes Content

• The release of this documentary eight months before the show drops signals a robust, fan-service-rich approach. The team predicts more behind-the-scenes footage and mini-docs ahead ([06:38] C; [06:57] D).

5. Casting The Golden Trio

• 40,000 audition tapes for Harry alone; wide search across UK children ([08:03]–[08:43]).
• Arabella Stanton’s casting as Hermione included a scene with her parents discussing Ron and Harry, hinting at early inclusion of Hermione’s family ([09:25] C).
  • “Hermione was described as being an only child and lacking a filter because of it. That is such a true statement…” – Laura ([10:14])
• Authentic, playful nuances sought in auditions—not just ‘know-it-all’ traits for Hermione.

6. Creative Details and Practical Effects

• Props & Creatures:

  • Green chocolate frogs—a notable design departure ([11:34] C).
  • Animatronics making a “big comeback” over heavy CGI—evoking nostalgia for classic effects and offering authenticity ([12:26]–[13:03]).
  • Scabbers the rat, Dugbogs, Flobberworms, and more—for book fans, Flobberworms show up far earlier ([16:04–16:18]).
  • A crafts lead claims each owl includes 36,000 feathers—later debated and left as her “word for it” ([13:35–14:47]).

• Diagon Alley, Gringotts, and Platform 9 ¾:

  • Sets feature natural textures and roots, expanding the environmental aesthetic.
  • A full, permanent Platform 9 ¾ set built—unlike the films’ use of CGI ([34:27]–[35:22]).

7. Nature and Magical Realism at the Heart

• Production designer Mara Lapierre Schloop’s “core values” focus:
  • “At the core of Harry Potter, nature is the root of magic… magical realism, rooting things in principles that we find in nature” ([21:43]–[23:18] C).
• Sets, effects, and costumes integrate earthy, organic, ‘nature-born’ motifs—branches in Great Hall doors, tree in Hogwarts entryway, roots in Diagon Alley cobblestones ([23:54]).

8. Costume and Wardrobe

• True-to-period 1991–90s vintage clothing; attention to British and Scottish materials ([24:33]–[25:14]).
• Magical folk costumes designed to look subtly “other”; Dumbledore’s cloaks to feature leaf-prints (“the imperfection… brings the beauty”) ([26:00]–[26:27] C).

9. Set Design & Practical Details

• The Great Hall set is “like a cathedral… felt very special” (Janet McTeer/McGonagall, [18:49] C).
• Wedding photos of Dursleys and detail in the cupboard under the stairs show a new level of practical storytelling ([28:29]–[29:47] D, A).

10. Generational and Emotional Impact

• Many crew and cast share personal connections, including reading the books with children, feeling nostalgic, and experiencing the magic anew ([30:49]–[31:57] B, A, C).
  • "They're going to grow up with this and I'm going to grow old with them." – John Lithgow ([27:12] D)
• The creators convey that “this is all much bigger than the author,” focusing on the positive impact on fans and families ([32:56] A).

11. Marketing & HBO Release Strategy

• Aggressive, early marketing campaign: trailers before various streaming and sports events (Final Four, TNT), documentary strategically released on a major holiday to test viewership ([38:09]–[39:09]).
• Speculate that the regular series may air Sundays at 8 PM to target families and children.

12. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I actually felt respected as a fan… it’s clearly very important to them that they get it right for the fans.” – Laura ([01:35])
• “This is going to be a series that is created by fans for fans. It’s a little bit reminiscent of Hogwarts Legacy.” – Micah ([02:18])
• “We’re gonna go down all the rabbit holes and show things happening in the wings that we don’t see.” – John Lithgow as Dumbledore ([05:20])
• “The natural world is the root of magic… magical realism.” – Mara Lapierre Schloop, production designer ([21:43])
• “They’re going to grow up with this and I’m going to grow old with them.” – John Lithgow ([27:12])
• “This is all much bigger than the author.” – Viewer ‘40’, highlighted by Laura ([32:56])

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:35] – Fan respect and detail above prior adaptations
• [05:20] – John Lithgow on “letting the story breathe”
• [09:25] – Trio casting process and intentions
• [11:34] – Prop redesigns: green chocolate frogs
• [12:26] – Animatronics and practical magical creatures
• [13:35] – 36,000 feathers per owl: over-the-top detail
• [17:15] – Diagon Alley, Gringotts, and set expansion
• [21:43] – Mara Lapierre Schloop on naturalism/magic connection
• [24:33] – 1990s period costumes and magical attire
• [26:00] – Dumbledore’s leaf-printed cloaks
• [27:12] – Lithgow’s moving reflection on aging with the series
• [28:29] – Dursley wedding photo production detail
• [32:56] – “Bigger than the author” discussion

---

Takeaways

• The hosts are optimistic, reassured, and moved by the generational, craftsmanlike effort going into the new Harry Potter series.
• The documentary demonstrates that the TV show is “for fans, by fans”—with deep thought given to authenticity, fresh visual direction, and magical realism rooted in nature.
• The amount of detail both on-camera (sets, creatures, costumes) and off (crew stories, emotional connections) surpasses what fans have seen before.
• The marketing—and the show’s production scale—indicate a massive, decade-long commitment from HBO and Warner Bros.
• For long-time Potter fans, the documentary helps re-center excitement and faith in the TV show as a labor of love far beyond mere commercial motivations.

---

Final Thoughts

The documentary and this MuggleCast episode together set a high bar for Wizarding World adaptations, promising to finally give the books “room to breathe” and the fandom more than just a nostalgia trip. With careful worldbuilding, practical effects, generational investment, and a fan-centric ethos, anticipation for HBO’s Philosopher’s Stone is at an all-time high.

---

Hosts: Andrew, Eric, Micah, and Laura
Memorable Sign-off:
“If you watch this, you will not feel like this series is just a money grab… they’re actually putting their money where their mouth is.” – Laura ([32:56])

Transcript

[A]

Hey you, whatcha doing? Scrolling doom scrolling looking at other people's vacations. Miami, San Diego, Cancun. Okay, what about you? What places will you go? Expedia is the one place you go to go places your trip can earn rewards which you can use towards your next eligible stay. Soon people will be doomscrolling you. You'll be that friend's friend, but with rewards. What are you waiting for? Expedia, the one place you go to go places. Terms apply. Morning decisions. How about a creamy mocha Frappuccino drink? Or sweet vanilla smooth caramel maybe? Or white chocolate mocha? Whichever you choose, delicious coffee awaits. Find Starbucks Frappuccino drinks wherever you buy your groceries.

[B]

They're taking the time to be able to really add some things that make sense. Like maybe there should be a coffee shop on platform nine and three quarters.

[C]

Yeah, Mrs. Weasley needs a pick me up after taking those kids to the platform.

[B]

She can go for a drink after dropping those kids off.

[C]

Maybe there's a bar there too. Welcome to mugglecast, your weekly ride into the world of Harry Potter. I'm Andrew.

[D]

I'm Eric.

[B]

I'm Micah.

[A]

And I'm Laura.

[C]

And we're your Harry Potter friends talking about the books and the movies. And this week we're reacting to the brand new Finding Harry documentary which is our second major look at the forthcoming Harry Potter TV show. They only announced this about, I don't know, probably less than a week ago.

[B]

Right, right.

[C]

Half hour documentary premiered on HBO Max first. It's gonna be airing on HBO tonight. Overall thoughts, I'm excited.

[A]

This really feels so much closer to what I originally imagined when I was reading the books before the movies came out. And not to no shade to the movies, the movies did a really good job as well. But there's so much less screen time, so they couldn't spend the time needed to get the amount of detail that we're getting in the TV show. Now I'm really, really excited and I actually felt respected as a fan because it's very clear that they're trying to do this story justice, but they're also trying to do the world justice. And it's clearly very important to them that they get it right for the fans.

[C]

Yeah, that was reassuring.

[B]

That's one of the things that I took away from the documentary was that this is going to be a series that is created by fans for fans. It's a little bit reminiscent of Hogwarts Legacy, to be honest. When we were hearing about who was going to Be working on the actual creation and production of the game. And there's a lot of legacy here, too. We see it throughout the course of the documentary. There's a lot of really great moments in the credits where now it's becoming a generational thing to work on the Harry Potter films, now the Harry Potter TV show. And I think that's just a really nice touch.

[D]

Yeah, yeah. Definitely loved the way the documentary focused on the creative teams. The various creative teams, from costumes to casting to production, set, creature effects, really just showcased how many people it takes to mount a show this big. And also, as you said, the level of detail. Loved that. And there was even that guy who, like, painted the first Quidditch box or his dad did, and now he's painting the new one. Like, that's cool.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

I did come away from this documentary feeling more assured about the effort and the thought that is being put into this series and how they are very intentionally trying to do things better than the movies. I think. I think we're gonna come out of this just really blown away. And I think it's gonna be very interesting to watch the movies after being spoiled by this TV show for seven plus seasons. You know. You know, it's gonna be a whole different wizarding world, it feels like.

[D]

I agree. And to be clear, like, the movies did not at all lack detail.

[C]

No, no.

[D]

But you couldn't see the detail that was put into most of those. Honestly, this is why the studio tour has been so successful for 16 years. The costume design, the set design, the. Everything that they built, even the animatronics and creatures were amazing. But in the movie, they get a minute of screen time, tops. And you can't appreciate them the way that we're going to get to in eight hours. So that feels good.

[C]

So we're going to go in chronological order here. We took some notes. We're going to kind of fly by the seat of our pants. This just was released on HBO Max a little over an hour ago. So here we go. Like, I think, Eric, you mentioned, the documentary primarily focused on the sets and the costumes and the casting of the trio. It was narrated by Nick Frost, who plays Hagrid. I didn't realize that until the very end, where you actually. Open with John Lithgow, who plays Dumbledore, saying that. That this series is going to let the story breathe. And that stood out to me because weren't we saying that on the show last week or a couple weeks ago that this show is going to let the series breathe?

[A]

Yep.

[D]

Well, it's confirmed. And he goes further. Lithgow says, we're gonna go down all the rabbit holes and show things happening in the wings that we don't see. And this makes it sound like an intentional deep dive, essentially into those moments. So I felt very, as Laura said, quite nicely respected as a fan.

[B]

Yeah. And not just any rabbit holes. Wonderful rabbit holes.

[C]

Oh, did he say wonderful rabbit holes?

[D]

Rabbit holes? Well, I think there were hints and I think that we can guess at some more of them as the documentary goes on. The thing that shook me right. Right off the bat with Nick Frost was hbo. Apparently in Britain they say hbo. And I think this is something we need to adopt because we were so excited that they're calling it Philosopher's Stone that we too should saying of hbo.

[C]

I didn't. I missed that.

[B]

I'll have to check.

[D]

We gotta. We gotta get used to it.

[C]

John Lithgow also did confirm eight episodes for season one, which I think was expected, but it's nice to hear that on air watch. They'll be like, you know what, guys, we have too much footage. We're actually going to do 10 episodes and that'd be kind of cool.

[A]

Oh, darn.

[D]

Yes. Not surprising that they'd have 10 episodes worth of footage. Yeah.

[C]

Oh, I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if we get multiple documentaries. Clearly this one. This one was actually like 27 minutes, including the credits. I'm sure they were filming documentary type material nonstop throughout this season. And maybe we're gonna get another mini doc or two in the lead up to the show being released.

[D]

That's another thing that overall is heartening to me because I always wanted this from the films. I always wanted, like, they released that film wizardry book and there was another one called Page to Screen, which are very extensive. You know, they have photos of set designs and other things like that. But what I always would have wanted are, is this type of documentary, even for those films. And I think that what this proves, the fact they released this eight months before the TV show is even out. And they're already. To your point, Andrew, filming these kinds of interview type things shows that they not only have, like, found what the show is, but they've been rolling for months and months and months and they have everything figured out and they're recording, the cameras are on.

[C]

Oh, yeah. I mean, this is all like monetizable, marketable material they can use. So I just hope it doesn't get

[D]

put in a vault.

[C]

Rachel Puff, who's Listening Live, also reminds us HBO does typically release extra content after each episode of their large shows like this little behind the scenes things.

[D]

So what was that, Andrew? HBO does that too.

[C]

I am not doing that.

[D]

I'm trying to make it happen.

[C]

So the documentary does start with the casting information. We see the audition tapes for the Trio. There are 40,000 auditions. Was that just for Harry or was that.

[B]

I thought that's what I.

[A]

That's what I took away. Was that it was just for Harry.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

But it was moving really quickly and I was trying to pay attention while taking notes.

[C]

Yeah, I know. I had to go back and turn on the closed captioning and confirm things. There was one stat that blew my mind, but we'll get to it in a little bit. I had to turn on the closed captioning to confirm I. I was hearing her correctly.

[B]

I hope it didn't ruffle your feathers too much, Andrew.

[C]

That is exactly what I'm alluding to.

[B]

I love this though, just to show how they did go all across the UK to audit to take these audition tapes from young kids because they mentioned that Alistair was from Manchester, Arabella was from London. Dominic Glasgow. So yeah, it was just really cool to. And these are things kind of building off of what Eric was saying earlier. Like we never really got the opportunity till, I don't think after the films were fully released to see audition tapes from Dan, Emma or Rupert. We're getting this now before Philosopher's Stone even debuts on hbo.

[C]

Yeah. One interesting note about casting Arabella Stanton as Hermione. The casting directors say they tested her in a scene in which she talks to her parents about Ron and Harry. So that's cool. We're gonna be getting Hermione's parents pretty early.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah. And not only that, but the thinking about when that would occur. Like after she met Ron and Harry but before the end of the first year that they're filming. Means it's probably over Christmas break when Hermione goes home.

[B]

Are we going skiing in France?

[D]

Maybe. Yeah. Well like. So the whole idea that they wrote a scene maybe Hermione's trying to figure out about Nicolas Flamel over break, you know too. But just crazy to think about.

[A]

Yeah. And what I love about this in particular they were talking about sort of like the character descriptions they were going for when looking for the main three. And specifically Hermione was described as being an only child and lacking a filter because of it. And that is such a true statement about Hermione's character. So the fact that they were that intentional with thinking about who are these characters really at their core? Like, what are the character traits that we want to see embedded in these auditions so that we can make sure we're bringing the characters to life. I thought that was really, really cool and I thought it was super cute that when they were talking about the audition tape of Arabella talking about Harry and Ron to her parents that she, I guess started giggling a little bit and had these like little snorts that they, they were like. That really shows Hermione's playfulness underneath everything else. And yeah, so I just thought that was so cool. It's just like the little things and it's not just about focusing so much on Hermione being a know it all. That's definitely a big part of her character, but that's not the only part of her character.

[C]

So they focused a lot on the details that we're going to get in this series and man, is it impressive. One of the things that jumped out to me, the chocolate frogs. Did you see those? They're not chocolate. They're green.

[D]

They're green. Maybe they're chocolate on the inside, but I don't want to bite into that. That looks like it's going to be a lot. How can you tell them apart?

[B]

These are those leftovers that.

[C]

No, they're not. That's, that's an insult to that at

[D]

the New York store. You're right, Micah. Oh my God. The expiry date was like a year prior.

[C]

It doesn't look like chocolate, but I think that's cool. I think they're going. I love that they're going in such a different direction from what we saw.

[D]

Yes, that's something so simple. They could have kept it just a chocolate coated frog. Like you get chocolate bunnies this weekend, everybody. They're going to be on sale starting tomorrow. But like, yeah, just do something different.

[C]

The animatronics were one of the biggest, best surprises, I think in this documentary. There's a lot of animatronics, it looks like, which is always a welcomed inclusion because for a while, I'm not talking about Harry Potter specifically, but for a while there was this trend, I think in like Star Wars, Star wars world, where a lot of it was CGI instead of animatronics like they did back in the 70s and the 80s and what you see at the theme parks and people missed those animatronics. There was a sense of authenticity that came with those and they're fun to see. I mean, it reminds me of, you know, like going into Chuck E Cheese. As a kid and watching Chucky, you

[D]

know, we were like, this is very cool. Yeah, he's way better. Yeah, well, I mean, that's the thing is the CGI ages the least well over animatronics or puppets or any of the other effects. So if they can do something that is CGI lights and at the same time bring in these artisans who are like, clearly at the top of their game creating real amazing. The creatures that we saw in this documentary, like, just unbelievable levels of creativity and art artistry.

[C]

So one of the designers said that they are putting 36,000 feathers in each. Ow. I backed up and double checked that and looked at the closed captioning. 36,000 feather. How is that possible?

[D]

I'm googling how many feathers are on a real owl.

[A]

I was gonna say, like somebody. Chachi. Pt. How many feathers do real owls have? Because.

[D]

Nope. Yeah. Most owls now, this is AI overview, have between 9 and 10,000 feathers. The most ever found was 12,000. So that's a lie. That's an exaggeration now.

[A]

Oh, damn.

[D]

Even if they're doing 10 feathers and they have eight owls, like, that's insane.

[C]

Yeah. And these, you know, these are normal sized owls, in case anybody's wondering. If you see them in the documentary, you'll, you know, they're supposed to just be normal everyday owls. So that was impressive.

[B]

Well, the person who said this is Sophie Reckberger. And I just love the fact that her title is CFX hod, which I'm assuming is head of development for Hair, Fish, Fur and Feathers. So I don't know if you really want to challenge her on this.

[D]

Okay. All right, I retract my challenge. I'm just going to take her word for it. There's 36,000 feathers and they all look great.

[C]

We also saw scabbers. They did an animatronic. Actually two animatronics. One of them bites a hand and just like hangs on presumably Ron's hand. Did you make a noise, Micah? Were you not impressed or something?

[B]

No, I was.

[C]

Oh, okay.

[D]

It's He. Doesn't he bite Goyle in the chapter? No, Goyle like Ron. It's actually what gets Malfoy to go away. The first time they ever have to get Malfoy to go away.

[B]

Ah, cool.

[C]

Okay, Good catch. We saw the dung bong.

[D]

Dung Dung dug.

[A]

Bog.

[D]

Doug Bog.

[C]

Doug Bog. Just Doug Bog.

[B]

Okay. No, yeah. Take the ends away.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Doug Bog.

[B]

I thought it's like hbo.

[C]

Yeah, well, I thought it was a typo in our doc.

[B]

Hogwarts legacy. You definitely have Avada Kedavra'd a few of them.

[D]

I don't have that spell, you guys.

[B]

Oh, I'm sure.

[D]

No, no. Eleanor Rigby would never. Okay. That was my Hufflepuff character. The dug bogs are in swamps everywhere around in the Scottish area that you're in.

[C]

They weren't seen in the movies, so that's something new. Coming over to the movie and they

[D]

talked about having to have bits that pop off of them so that the students like, I guess we're probably gonna get some kind Magical Creatures lesson or some scene where they happen to be plucking because the. The guy who was walking us through it like did that took the parts off.

[A]

I also love how they had flopper worms and they looked so disgusting but so good. But this was another thing that I thought was such a nice touch because if you're a book reader, you know that flopperworms are not introduced until like what, book three or four?

[D]

I think that's right.

[B]

And whoever was speaking at that time, I think mentioned that they didn't tell the students or the actors that they were going to be handling flower worms. And the fact that when you pick them up they're disgusting and nasty. And so I bet they got a pretty natural reaction from at least the trio.

[D]

Well, and as to where they'll fit in the overall year of the story, I think the fire crabs in particular were shown in Diagon Alley. So it'll be like whether Magical Menagerie or something. But like imagine, you know, that as something eye catching for Harry to see when he and Hagrid are walking by.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[D]

I'm gonna need a whole episode in Diagon Alley, you guys. I know we joked about like, you know, whole episode on the trail episode, but come on.

[C]

Gotta first look at Gringotts 2. The exterior. least it'll be very cool to see the inside of that place. There was a comment they said there's a ton going into this for the Die Hard, so we're going to land it with them. I thought that was cool. Even though you could argue that this series is probably to introduce Harry Potter to a new generation of people. They are still serving the Die Hards. Like Laura said, we're feeling respected as fans respect us. Yeah, we're the danger.

[A]

Well, and I. Okay, Heisenberg. But what I also love about it though is that it feels the designs in the environment do feel distinct. But when I think about all of the investments that have been made in things like the theme park. It's gonna be pretty easy for them, I think, to retrofit some of that, to update it to look like the feel of the TV show. If they decide they wanna do that because it's not so drastically different that they would have to tear everything down and start over. I think they could kind of give Islands of Adventure and everything else. Harry Potter a bit of a facelift to kind of update it for the times. So I think that'll be really nice.

[D]

Yeah. Even just updating the signage of other shops to match what's in the show. Be an easy way to do that.

[C]

Janet McTeer, who plays McGonagall, called the great hall her favorite set, which I thought was cool. She says it felt like walking into a cathedral. And that Great hall set really does look like something special.

[A]

Yeah, it does. Are. Are they using the same set but just updated for the show?

[C]

So. No, it looks bigger to me. I noticed like staircases on one side. Yeah. Did you all notice that?

[B]

That would be much like Hogwarts.

[A]

Hogwarts Legacy. Yeah.

[C]

Oh, they're worse there.

[B]

Yeah, you're right.

[C]

Or even like a church, honestly, like those upper levels for additional seating and whatnot.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

The choir loft.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Well, then it took you up and then you could eventually get up to the. The belfry where the chimes were for the school. Am I remembering that correctly from the video?

[A]

You are.

[D]

I think it's right.

[B]

Yeah, that is right. The other thing I really liked that Janet McTeer had to say was that if she was having a really rough day, all she had to do was close her eyes, take a deep breath and open them back up and recognize that she was at Hogwarts.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

And I thought that was really nice. I'm paraphrasing, but I thought that was really nice.

[D]

The right window treatments change everything. Your sleep, your privacy, the way every room looks and feels. @blinds.com, we've spent 30 years making it surprisingly simple to get exactly what your home needs. We've covered over 25 million windows and have 50,000 five star reviews to prove we deliver. Whether you DIY it or want a pro to handle everything from measure to install, we have you covered. Real design professionals, free samples, zero pressure right now. Get up to 45% off site wide. Plus get a free professional [e-mail] rules and restrictions apply.

[A]

Your next chapter in healthcare starts at Carrington College's School of Nursing in Portland. Join us for our open house on Tuesday, January 13th from 4 to 7pm you'll tour our campus, see live demos, meet instructors, and learn about our associate degree in nursing program that prepares you to become a registered nurse. Take the first step toward your nursing career. Save your spot now at Carrington Edu Events. For information on program outcomes, visit carrington. Edu Sci K Pop Demon Hunters, Haja Boy's Breakfast Meal and Hunt Trick's Meal have just dropped at McDonald's. They're calling this a battle for the fans. What do you say to that, Rumi? It's not a battle.

[D]

So glad the Saja Boys could take breakfast and give our meal the rest of the day.

[C]

It is an honor to share.

[A]

No, it's our honor.

[C]

It is our larger honor.

[D]

No, really stop.

[A]

You can really feel the respect in this battle. Pick a meal to pick a side.

[D]

I participate in McDonald's while supplies last.

[C]

Also, I thought the most interesting part of the documentary were these comments from production designer Mara lapierre Schloop. She said, in the initial conversations with Mark and Francesca about the core values of our show, there was this kind of inherent desire to be rooted in naturalism also in this idea of. At the core of Harry Potter, nature is the root of magic. And. And so magical realism, rooting things in principles that we find in nature and the phenomenon of the natural world, if we could harness those things, that's what magic is. These ideas of naturalisms being this core principle within the wizarding world is something that we're integrating a lot into our sets. We have to bring the natural world to the sets. And to think that I'm at the helm of this, it really is incredible. This project is so exciting that there's so much overlap and play between different departments to really capture these concepts and themes and express them on so many different levels. As we designed these practical and visual effects, we wanted there to be a deeply rooted logic to what was happening. Even though magic is not logical for us, it's more of these, like, consequences of magic that we're interested in. For every expression of magic, we're trying to do that critical analysis of how does this tie back into what we're saying magic actually is? And we really wanted to celebrate it as a moment to do things a little bit differently. So I. I know that was a long quote, but we're already getting hints of how this Hogwarts is rooted in nature. I think I pointed out last week that the Harry Potter logo has, like, a tree roots.

[D]

Ooh, yeah.

[C]

Watching the trailer again after our trailer episode, I noticed there's a tree in the Hogwarts entryway inside. Wow. This Hogwarts is earthy and, like, almost born out of the earth.

[D]

Lot more Hufflepuff. I appreciate that. A lot more Hufflepuff. But, yeah, I mean, in this documentary, I saw the great hall doors, and when they're walking through and there's tree. There's branches everywhere, like, growing off of the main doors to the Great Hall. So that's very impressive. Yeah, I think you're exactly right. And that's a great thing you noticed about the logo.

[B]

I feel like there was some of that, too, in Diagon Alley. I'd have to go back and take a closer look, but it felt like roots were coming up through the cobblestones.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Yes, yeah.

[C]

Storefronts.

[D]

And the storefronts of those, like, mushrooms that were Berberin or whatever.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Mara also had another interesting comment, and it was actually in the preview for the documentary where she said, this is a designer's dream to play in a sandbox this big. And again, it's. It's paying fan service. But I. But I think it. It is really good to hear these types of things coming from the people who are working on the series.

[C]

Absolutely. They talked about the costumes. That was a big focus of the documentary. They said it's set in 1991 and the clothes are going to be in the. You know, from the 90s.

[B]

They came to me for all of Dudley's merchandise or wardrobe. Yeah.

[A]

They borrowed it from Micah's closet. What I loved about this was they actually went out in search of real vintage 90s clothing designs for the costuming. I also cringed a little bit when they said vintage 90s clothing. As someone who wore that stuff when I was a kid. But. Okay. But no, that was. It was really cool. And they were really intentional about the materials that they used. Right, Andrew?

[C]

Yeah, yeah. British wool and then Scottish materials, too. I thought that was a really cool way to honor the country that the story is set in. They also said that for magical people, they wanted to present them in a way that feels somehow a little bit other in the costume designs. I thought that was a really thoughtful idea.

[D]

Yeah. And they had a rule of thumb while working, which is what they said. I just saw a magical person and it's like, what was that person wearing,

[C]

like, out and about when they were traveling out?

[D]

Like, what about. What about that person clicked for you. Oh, magical. And then let's incorporate that into the magical people of the series.

[B]

I'll be honest. I mean, sometimes I think I see Dumbledore on the train.

[C]

Well, you should ask him sometimes.

[D]

Next time, take a picture.

[B]

I will.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, speaking of Dumbledore, they did discuss designing Dumbledore's looks. And Dumbledore has, like, these leaf print designs on several of his cloaks and gear. And with that leaf printing, they wanted to create a sense of natural, immediate, unruly process. It's the imperfection of those leaf prints that brings the beauty. And then there was this other quote that he's a little bit of an Edwardian gentleman. We wanted to root him in.

[D]

Reality, the natural state of things is also very alchemical. Alchemical is about the physical properties. And so it makes perfect sense that Dumbledore would be a lot more tied to nature, like through his look than he was done previously.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

In this area of the documentary, we also got a look at Dedalus Diggle, who we have seen through paparazzi photos interacting with Vernon. So it was just cool to get a little official look at him. Also noticed we did see the bathroom where the troll attack occurs. I assume the bathroom was in shambles. So I just figure that's.

[D]

Oh, yeah. I mean, sorry, guys. That was. That was me. But no. Yeah. I don't know what we're saying here, but yeah, that makes. That makes sense to me.

[C]

John Lithgow did talk about his age again. He was like, I'm 80 now. I'm going to be 88 when I'm done. Like, this is. I'm going to be growing up with these kids. He's talked about that quite a few times.

[D]

Yeah. Well, the closure of the doc was very special for an interview with Papa as well. And they both talked about. I really actually appreciated how Papa said how nice it was going to be to see these kids grow and grow up. And the line I liked from Lithgow was, they're going to grow up with this and I'm going to grow old with them. So that felt very nice. But Lithgow looks great. We joke that he talked in the interview about how old he is and he is already eight years older than Richard Harris was when Richard Harris passed. But he seems perfectly spry and happy to do it, so I'm thrilled.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. He seems very excited to be playing this role.

[C]

Yeah. And there were a lot of great B roll shots of them on the sets. I think we saw a lot of great hall shots and it was fun seeing him in that role. Is Dumbledore.

[A]

Totally.

[C]

Let's see, what else? What else? Anything else y' all wanted to. Somebody has a Note here. You notice wedding pictures of the Dursleys.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[D]

This was something that we got to shot. So you know how in really any movie ever, if you look at photos that are supposed to be, you know, a married couple or a family, they're almost every single time just poorly photoshopped photos of the actors, like, maybe even in costume if you're lucky. But they're all just like garbage this time. They went through the process, you can tell, of actually photographing, actually doing a whole shoot with Vernon and Petunia on their wedding day. And it looks like Vernon's parents and Petunia's parents are there. And there's actually a strained look on Petunia's mother's face that one could even read deeper to say, oh, she thinks that Lily should be there and isn't and is consumed by it. And Petunia looks a little less happy, but Vernon is smiling.

[A]

I would just point to the amount of detail we saw in the cupboard under the stairs as well. There's a lot going on in there. A lot more. Yeah, yeah. Just a lot more like props and decoration in there than we got to see in the movies, which makes sense. I mean, if Harry spent his childhood in there.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

He would have more up on the walls.

[C]

Yeah. So, overall, I'm really impressed with this documentary. I came away feeling better than I already did, and I was feeling pretty good about the show again. It's really reassuring to see that these people who are working on this career, like, they're really putting a lot of thought into it. And when you hear, like, the everyday noise online about the show, you know, it reminds you. Well, with the author. Yeah. But.

[D]

But you can lose sight.

[C]

Yeah. Of that. There's real people who care working on this show behind the scenes, and they're doing quality work, it seems.

[D]

Yeah. This is gonna. I mean, I was blown away by the level of detail of everything that I saw here and what a great opportunity all of these people are having. Again, artisans at the top of their craft, to be part of this journey for 10 more years. You know, it's like, absolutely wonderful to see the art that they will be creating.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I love the multi generational aspect of it. I know it was talked about earlier, the fact that there was a father who worked on the first Quidditch box, and now his son is doing it in the credits. There was a father and son duo that are now working together. I think the man mentioned that he met his wife while working on Harry Potter. Now his son is working with him, and we just hear these stories about how blown away a lot of these other everyday people are now to be working on Harry Potter, having grown up with it. Papa Esiedu mentions it even in his own interview about the day he came to set and he walked in and there was the Hogwarts Express, and it just took him back to his days reading the Harry Potter books. So there's a lot of nostalgia here, which is, I think, a good thing.

[A]

The generational impact is real. I mean, I think somebody else on set design was talking about how she had been reading the books with her son.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And that that was a big source of connection for them.

[C]

And she was so moved by her son saying to her, I want to go to a school like this, that then she felt driven to find a school like this and now get to create one. That's pretty amazing. So. And, you know, these productions, they are giant families. You're spending probably 10 years together. You know, like John Luftwaff said, you're growing up together.

[D]

Absolutely. Yeah. And it just seems like they're absolutely sparing no expense, too. Like, this could have been, in some world, I guess, a cheaper or, like, money grab. That's absolutely not what. That's not what comes to mind at all. Watching this documentary, even as of the trailer, you can tell that it's not that.

[C]

I think that is one of the big takeaways here. If you watch this, you will not feel like this series is just a money grab. It was definitely inspired by the financial potential, of course.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

But they're actually like, they're putting their money where their mouth is, and they're not cheaping out on the production of this, which I appreciate also. I just want to highlight something. 40, who's watching live with us, said seeing all the artists working also felt like a good reminder that this is all much bigger than the author. And I think that's a great takeaway as well.

[B]

Yeah. One other thing that I did want to mention was at the very kind of end of the documentary, when you get the Nick Frost reveal that he's been the one narrating the whole time.

[D]

But I knew you guys. I know his voice. It's him.

[B]

Well, for those of us who are less familiar.

[D]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. He looks a lot different without the haggard beard.

[B]

He does. But the fact that basically platform 9 and 3/4 has been set up as almost like a. A train station within a train station. Like, even though it's only one platform, it has all these different cafes and you get kind of that look out from the Hogwarts Express onto the platform. I just think, you know like everything is being reimagined. It's not just you know, Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. It's like they're taking the time to be able to really, you know, plus some things up, add some things that make sense. Like yeah, maybe there should be a coffee shop on platform nine and three quarters.

[C]

Yeah, Mrs. Weasley needs a pick me up after taking those kids to the platform.

[B]

She can go for a drink after dropping those kids off.

[C]

Maybe there's a bar there too.

[B]

You know, especially Fred and George.

[C]

I'm glad you bring up platform nine and three quarters because was anybody else surprised that they actually built out a permanent platform 9 and 3 quarter set? Because it like. Okay, I guess it appears in every book or almost every book but it's. I don't know, it doesn't appear that often.

[B]

But it's at the studio tour.

[C]

Yeah. No, but this is a whole different one, right? This.

[B]

Yeah. Well I would. Yeah, I think so. I think everything is, is different.

[C]

Yeah. It just surprised me that they actually built out that whole set. Remember the movies did not do that. That was all cgi.

[D]

Yeah, well like again that at least

[C]

for Deathly Hallows, I just want to

[D]

see them get use out of it. That's going to be great to see. Usually when they build a whole set as opposed to like half a set, it's because they need full camera angle, creative control, like the ability to do all sorts of stuff. Because why, yeah, why would you build a set that a train can actually go through? It's crazy.

[C]

But I guess, I guess with the movies they didn't know like with movie one, if they truly were gonna do seven or even eight movies, of course. So now I think this also just tells you they are fully. This is another stupid thing I see on social media. Oh, show's gonna bomb and it's gonna get canceled after two seasons. Warner Brothers very much does not feel that way. And that's why they're building these sets out because they're gonna be using them for the next 10 years.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And then there will be a second studio tour dedicated to the TV.

[D]

I wonder if it'll be across the street from the other. I wonder if you have to buy a multi studio tour pass to get to bonus.

[B]

You get a park hopper pass.

[D]

Yeah, park hopper pass for the studio tours.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And then you'll be able to take the train between the two of them. Except when you get on the Hogwarts Express from the movie side, it'll say 5972 on the front of it. When you get off on the TV show side, it'll say 5977. The number changed on the train.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Oh, good catch.

[B]

Did anybody expect maybe a little bit of another tease at the end of this documentary?

[C]

I kind of thought so too.

[D]

I thought when Nick Frost was getting on the train that he was gonna sit down next to Warwick Davis.

[C]

That would've been kind of nice.

[D]

I really did. Because, like, that guy's a big. He's a big, big, big name actor. And we haven't yet seen him as Flitwick or as himself doing interviews yet.

[C]

Yeah, it is kind of interesting that they. Who they did focus on, they just had the Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore actors. Obviously, there's way more people who could appear in documentaries like this. My prediction is there's gonna be another documentary or two. Of course, we haven'. Heard from the kids yet either. But yeah, I was hoping for like an apple keynote style. One more thing at the end of the documentary. Some sort of fun reveal. I don't know what, but some surprise.

[B]

We did get the trailer. Oh, that would have been fun. Nice little surprise at the end. But I mean, we did get the trailer if for those who didn't see it at the very beginning. But it's not the same. I was hoping for a little bit more of a surprise.

[C]

Oh, they played the trailer before the documentary, you're saying?

[B]

Yeah. Did you not get that?

[C]

I did, but I skipped it.

[B]

You had already seen that.

[A]

I mean, we've already watched it how many times?

[C]

Yeah, I needed to take notes for mugglecast. I will say we were talking about this before we started the show. The trailer is airing on tv. It feels like nonstop. If you play anything on hbo Max right now, at least for me, I'm getting that Harry Potter trailer before whatever show I'm watching. They're promoting this hard already. And it is kind of surprising for a TV show to get promoted eight months in advance.

[B]

I agree.

[C]

That's crazy.

[B]

And I mentioned this to you before the show as well. I was watching the Final Four last night, which is on TNT, which is part of the WarnerMedia family, and they did a live read for Philosopher's Stone during the game. Like you would do a live read for anything else. So again, like, the fact that we're getting promotion this early and you're getting A documentary this early, even though it's only 30 minutes long, they are churning that marketing machine.

[C]

It's. It's wild. I don't know what to make of it just yet. I. I don't like. What is the goal?

[B]

To remind people how to set up our recording schedule.

[C]

We're recording this on Easter Sunday.

[D]

Only the major holidays. Easter Sunday. Didn't you have a theory about that, Andrew?

[C]

Oh, I did. I wonder if by releasing this documentary on a holiday weekend that they're kind of testing viewership numbers, what viewership numbers will be like for Harry Potter. Anything. That's. That's my guess.

[B]

Maybe Easter Sunday, because it's going to slide into that probably 8pm Eastern window on HBO, which is, you know, a pretty important window for them, for wine.

[C]

And it's prime time, baby. Sunday night. Yeah, well, an 8pm is interesting because 9pm is when, you know, Game of Thrones typically airs or Succession or White Lotus. 8pm says we want to air it a little earlier for the kids.

[B]

Right? Exactly. And I'm sure it'll air at 8:30 and then it'll start airing, you know.

[C]

8:30? What are you talking about?

[B]

I think they'll air it back to back. Like you can watch it at 8 and at 8:30 and then it goes into rotation where it's on like a thousand times over the course of the next month.

[C]

Yeah, but what I'm talking about is when the TV show actually starts airing, they'll probably run it at 8pm on Sundays. So the kids.

[B]

Yeah, I think that's right.

[C]

I think.

[B]

All right.

[C]

Well, thanks everybody for tuning in to this special episode of Mugglecast in which we've been covering the Finding Harry documentary. If you are watching this on YouTube, please be sure to press that follow button so you can get more coverage of the Harry Potter TV show as we continue to cover it for the next nine months and beyond. If you're listening to this in your favorite podcast app, please press follow in there. We're doing a chapter by chapter reread of the Harry Potter series right now. And when there's big news like this documentary, we're taking a break from chapter by chapter to discuss what has been released. If the last week has been any indication, it looks like we're going to be getting many more previews over the next nine months. Thanks everybody for listening. I'm Andrew Girl.

[D]

I'm Eric.

[B]

I'm Micah.

[A]

And I'm Laura.

[C]

See y' all next week.

[B]

Bye bye.

[A]

Spring just slid into your DMs grab that boho look for that rooftop dinner. Those sandals that can keep up with you. And hang some string lights to give your patio a glow up. Spring's calling, Ross. Work your magic.