The wand is doing a lot of work in these posters from HBO. Each one holds a wand upright across an actor’s face, cutting the portrait in two.
The series arrives on December 25, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max. Creative Bloq’s Design Editor Daniel John, whose comedy newsletter is a Substack Bestseller, has already called the campaign a misstep. Other coverage followed quickly, and by November 9, 2026, the gaming site ixbt.games had published its own report on the reaction.
HBO Max Brasil released three of the hbo harry potter posters. They feature Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Alastair Stout as Ron and Arabella Stanton as Hermione, all standing in the Hogwarts library. One half of each face sits in shadow, and the two halves show slightly different expressions.
Creative Bloq noted that each half appears to be lit by a separate light source. The result makes the faces look spliced together. Viewers also spotted that Ron’s lips seem to be two different colours.
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What fans noticed in the hbo harry potter posters
Fans compare the posters to a bad edit
The comments on Reddit were harsher still. “I’m shocked they released it like this,” one Redditor wrote, pointing out that the campaign has otherwise been carefully detailed.
Another commenter wrote that each poster looks as if two photographs were cut and joined along the wand. The commenter called the editing “absolute terrible.”
Fans have since produced their own versions of the artwork. These mock-ups keep only one half of each face. Creative Bloq says the revised poster design looks more dramatic, and the faces no longer appear unnaturally wide.
Harry’s eyes and the wider questions
Geeks and Gamers pointed to a second issue with the artwork. In the novels, Lily Potter has bright emerald green eyes, and Harry shares that colour. Harry’s eyes are blue in the films, and the new posters follow that choice.
The outlet noted that Daniel Radcliffe could not wear green contact lenses because of an allergic reaction. Digital tools can now change an actor’s eye colour, so the choice is a decision rather than a limitation. The article also says J.K. Rowling specified that Harry’s eyes must match his mother’s for continuity, but the colour did not have to be green.
The Ixbt report offers two theories about the split faces. One suggests the halves show how the characters change during their first year at Hogwarts. Another suggests the design hints at moral ambiguity in the story to come. The report also says the show’s creators have repeatedly stated they plan to adapt each novel in full and add scenes that never appeared in the books.
Fan arguments over how faithfully a beloved book world gets adapted run through this debate too, as seen in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Trailer Sparks Literary Debate, which is worth a look for the same kind of fan scrutiny.
The posters have stirred plenty of debate, but the harry potter series itself has not aired yet. Judged as advertising, the split-face idea draws attention. It also suggests an edit nobody checked closely enough before release.
H/T creativebloq.com
Frequently asked questions
Why are fans criticizing the HBO Harry Potter posters?
Each poster holds a wand upright across an actor’s face, splitting the portrait in two. Fans said the halves look spliced together, with slightly different expressions and lighting, as if two photographs were cut and joined along the wand.
When does HBO’s Harry Potter series arrive?
The series arrives on December 25, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max. The article notes that it had not aired yet at the time of the poster debate.
Why does Harry have blue eyes in the HBO posters?
In the novels, Harry has bright emerald green eyes like his mother Lily, but Daniel Radcliffe could not wear green contact lenses because of an allergic reaction. The new posters follow the films, where Harry’s eyes are blue.
What do the split faces in the posters supposedly mean?
The Ixbt report offers two theories about the split faces. One suggests the halves show how the characters change during their first year at Hogwarts, while the other suggests the design hints at moral ambiguity in the story to come.
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