HBO just gave the Hogwarts Crests a stunning makeover. The reveal comes ahead of the anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’s publication on September 1. At a Back to Hogwarts event in Australia, fans received a look at how the House Crests are going to look in the new reboot adaptation of J.K. Rowling‘s hit books.
The newer crests sport a more minimalistic look in comparison to the designs that fans have been used to for all these years. However, each crest remains instantly recognizable, despite the reduced design elements.
The newer designs largely do away with the heraldic vibe that the older designs had going on. Instead of the sigils being displayed on shields, the newer designs enclose them in a plain colored circle. The line art on the newer crests is also significantly thinner compared to the ones used in the films. The sigils on the crests themselves appear to be more cartoonish, as opposed to the older versions, which felt like they belonged in a medieval bestiary.
How HBO’s Harry Potter house designs changed from the movies
The newer designs do a good job of being a distinct representation of the houses, and not easily confused with their predecessors, which were used for the Radcliffe-Watson-Grint films. There has been speculation that HBO will be ramping up its marketing efforts for the first season of its Harry Potter reboot. Given the December release date for the series, it would make sense that HBO would want to drum up hype for the show, despite the various controversies that it has had.
HBO has also released casting news for Season 2, casting Game of Thrones and MCU alum Kit Harington as Gilderoy Lockhart. The role was essayed in the films by Thor director Kenneth Branagh. Harington would be replacing Superman’s Nicholas Hoult, who was initially cast in the role. However, the actor had to step down before principal photography could commence for the show’s sophomore outing.
Interestingly, this won’t be the first time that Kit Harington will play Lockhart. The Jon Snow actor essayed the role of the vain wizarding conman in the 2025 audiobook of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for the Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions collection. It is already known that the second season will see another new face, as Gracie Cochrane will not return to reprise Ginny Weasley.
