Harry Potteris about to make a major comeback this year, as December will see the release of the long-awaited reboot on HBO. Despite the controversy surrounding author J.K. Rowling and a flurry of production problems, the Wizarding World is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, a massive Harry Potter celebration is set to take place this September with the “Back to Hogwarts” event. Starting on September 1, 2026, the official Harry Potter YouTube and TikTok channels will feature the “Back to Hogwarts Showcase” with special Harry Potter-themed announcements. Taken together, these aren’t isolated fan events — they’re the opening phase of Warner Bros.’ strategy to reintroduce Harry Potter as a franchise entering a new era ahead of HBO’s reboot.
YouTube and TikTok won’t be the only places where Harry Pottercelebrations are being held. HBO Max will also be holding a Harry Potter-themed event in London, alongside special events for Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. For fans in the United States, events will be held at the Harry Potter shops in Chicago and New York, as well as Universal Studios theme parks. Rather than promoting the series through a traditional marketing campaign alone, Warner Bros. is turning Harry Potter into an event that spans theaters, theme parks, retail and social media — making the reboot feel like the next chapter of an ongoing cultural phenomenon instead of a standalone TV premiere.
‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ Is Celebrating Its 25th Anniversary
The biggest standout of the “Back to Hogwarts” celebrations is the theatrical re-release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone if you stick with the original title), which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Not only will Sorcerer’s Stone be celebrating a major anniversary, but it’s also set to kick off a week-long event where all the Harry Potter movies are re-released in theaters. It’s a clever way to revitalize interest in the Harry Potter franchise, since there’s a generation of fans who grew up with Daniel Radcliffe‘s portrayal of the Boy Who Lived.
Collider Exclusive · The Sorting Hat Awaits Which Hogwarts House Are You? Gryffindor · Slytherin · Hufflepuff · Ravenclaw
Four houses. One destiny. The Sorting Hat has considered thousands of students — now it’s your turn. Answer honestly and discover where you truly belong at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
🦁Gryffindor
🐍Slytherin
🦡Hufflepuff
🦅Ravenclaw
01
What quality do you value most in yourself? Answer as honestly as you can — the Hat always knows.
02
A friend is being treated unfairly. What do you do? How you protect others says everything about who you are.
03
What does success look like to you? What you’re working toward defines who you’re becoming.
04
What is your greatest fear? Fear is the most honest thing about a person.
05
The rules say no. Your gut says go. What do you do? Every institution has rules. What you do with them is a choice.
06
What kind of friend are you? Who you are to the people you love is who you really are.
07
You look into the Mirror of Erised. What do you see? The mirror shows the deepest desire of your heart.
08
The Sorting Hat pauses. It whispers: “You could do well in any house. But what matters most to you — truly?” This is your tiebreaker. The Hat always listens.
The Sorting Hat Speaks Your House Has Been Chosen
After careful deliberation, the Sorting Hat has made its decision. This is the house your values, your instincts, and your particular way of being in the world were made for.
Gryffindor Tower · Scarlet & Gold
🦁 Gryffindor
You have nerve. Not the reckless kind, but the deep, quiet courage that shows up even when you’re terrified — especially then.
Gryffindors don’t act because they’re fearless — they act because they understand that some things are worth being afraid for.
You stand up for people when it would be easier to look away.
You charge toward what’s right even when the odds are terrible.
Harry, Hermione, Ron — the heroes of Hogwarts’s greatest chapter — all called the tower with the scarlet and gold home. And now, so do you.
Slytherin Dungeon · Emerald & Silver
🐍 Slytherin
You are driven, sharp, and utterly clear-eyed about what you want and how to get there.
Slytherin has long been misunderstood — painted as the house of villains when it is, at its best, the house of those who refuse to accept limits placed on them by others.
You are resourceful, strategic, and you play the long game.
You know your worth. You protect your own fiercely.
The dungeon common room with its view of the Black Lake is yours — and the ambitions that will take you further than anyone expects are yours too.
Hufflepuff Basement · Yellow & Black
🦡 Hufflepuff
You are the kind of person that makes the world genuinely better just by being in it.
Hufflepuff is not the “safe” house or the “leftover” house — it is the house of those with the greatest heart and the most unwavering integrity.
You show up. You work hard. You don’t need glory or recognition — you do what’s right because it’s right.
Your loyalty never wavers, even when tested.
Nymphadora Tonks, Cedric Diggory, Newt Scamander — some of the wizarding world’s finest. And now you join them.
Ravenclaw Tower · Blue & Bronze
🦅 Ravenclaw
Your mind is your greatest gift, and you’ve always known it.
Ravenclaws are the thinkers, the questioners, the ones who find a puzzle irresistible and a good book better company than most people.
Ravenclaw is not merely about intelligence — it’s about the love of learning, the pursuit of truth, and the rare courage to admit you don’t know something yet.
You see the world with unusual clarity and depth.
Luna Lovegood, Filius Flitwick, Rowena Ravenclaw herself — all extraordinary, all original. And so are you.
By celebrating the original film at the exact moment a new adaptation is about to arrive, Warner Bros. is betting that nostalgia won’t compete with the reboot — it will create anticipation for it. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone‘s re-release also dovetails with the upcoming premiere of HBO’s series, especially since both projects are based on the same book.
This could be a double-edged sword for the HBO series: if it has a chance of standing out, it needs to embrace the scenes and characters that the movie left out, like the mischievous Peeves the Poltergeist. On the other hand, the movie’s re-release might cause people to question if they want to see the same story twice, which would cut into the Harry Potter series’ audience. That’s the balancing act Warner Bros. now faces: honoring the version of Harry Potter audiences already love while persuading them there’s enough left unexplored to justify returning to Hogwarts all over again.
Back to Hogwarts Is Laying the Groundwork for the Future of ‘Harry Potter’
The Back to Hogwarts celebration is timed to draw in a potentially new generation of Harry Potter fans, especially with the major rollout of certain events. Utilizing YouTube and TikTok is a smart move, especially as YouTube has become a major competitor to Hollywood studios. It also means that Warner Bros. is aiming to make the new Harry Potter seriesa major event, with HBO chairman Casey Bloys confirming this when the show was first announced.
“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way. Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon, and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World.”
The strategy also reflects how blockbuster franchises are now launched. Building excitement isn’t confined to trailers anymore, but rather meeting audiences across every platform where fandom already exists. The big push that the Back to Hogwarts events are getting is also a reminder that there’s a trick to managing long-running pop culture franchises.
Going the extra mile to draw in fans old and new is how these franchises continue to thrive. Whether HBO’s Harry Potter ultimately wins over longtime fans remains an open question. But Back to Hogwarts makes one thing clear: Warner Bros. isn’t simply celebrating where the franchise has been — it’s using that legacy to build excitement for where it hopes Harry Potter goes next.
Harry Potter premieres on HBO Max on December 25, 2026.
