HBO’s Harry Potter television series officially went into production this week, and a recent crop of behind-the-scenes photos from the production in London have given us our first look at the Dursleys. After the murder of his parents by Lord Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore sent the infant Harry Potter to live with the only known living members of his family: his maternal aunt Petunia, her husband Vernon, and their son Dudley. The Dursleys are among the most hated characters in the books due to their cruel treatment of young Harry. He’s forced to sleep in a closet under the stairs, acts as a servant to his relatives, and is mercilessly picked on by Dudley. Even after discovering that he’s a wizard, Harry still spends several summers with his relatives throughout the seven-novel saga. And now, thanks to the X account @HPMoviesNews, we have our first look at the unpleasant trio.
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The photos show all three members of the Dursley family: Vernon (Daniel Rigby), Petunia (Bel Powley), and Dudley (Amos Kitson) on set at the London Zoo for a particularly memorable moment in the first novel, where Harry unintentionally uses magic to trap his bratty cousin Dudley in the snake enclosure there. The scene is also the first hint that Harry is a parseltongue (meaning he can communicate with snakes) after inadvertently being made one of Lord Voldemort’s horcruxes as a baby.
The Dursleys Look a Lot Different Than in the Harry Potter Movies
Notably, the Dursleys are dressed in peak early 90s fashion, wearing windbreakers and graphic polos. The dated outfits are a departure from the family’s depiction in the Harry Potter movies, serving as evidence that the team behind the HBO series is fully embracing the era of the books, which spanned from 1991 through 1998.
HBO has previously stated that each season of the show will cover one of the Harry Potter books. Therefore, we assume that the upcoming Harry Potter series will give us more time with the Dursleys than we had with them in the movie. Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw played Vernon and Petunia, respectively, in Warner Bros.’ eight Harry Potter films. However, those films didn’t dwell on the abuse the Dursleys inflicted on young orphan Harry. In the later books, we learn that Petunia always resented her sister Lily, Harry’s mother, for being a witch and cruelly took it out on her child.
While viewers may be eager to relive the wonder of Harry’s arrival at Hogwarts, establishing the life he left is imperative to the character. Furthermore, more time with the Dursleys will also make Rubeus Hagrid’s arrival at their home, 4 Privet Drive in the London suburb Surrey, when he tells Harry he’s a wizard, even more meaningful. Also, something tells us it’ll be that much more satisfying, too, when we see Hagrid use his wand-umbrella to give the insufferable Dudley a pig’s tail.
What do you think of the Dursleys’ new look? Let us know in the comments below!
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