SDCC 2019 Day One: Panels and Announcements From ‘His Dark Materials,’ ‘Cursed Child’ and Hero Collector!

Jul 19, 2019

Posted by: Dawn Johnson

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Welcome to day one of the con of all cons, Potter fans! San Diego Comic-Con 2019 got off to a cracking start on Thursday, July 18. And though Leaky correspondents were not yet on site, we’ve put together a recap of the day’s events and announcements for the fandom members who couldn’t make it.

The first item of interest is HBO’s upcoming series His Dark Materials, based on the novels by Philip Pullman. The cast was on site and mingling with the crowd before heading toward the iconic Hall H.

Panel ready, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson and Jane Tranter, as well as Cursed Child playwright and HDM series adapter Jack Thorne, were all smiles.

To the delight of the fans, HBO unveiled an incredible new trailer with the tagline: “Who is willing to fight for truth and freedom?”

In addition to releasing the exciting teaser footage, the panel announced a new cast member–Harry Potter alum Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy) has been tapped to voice Lord Asriel’s Daemon, Stelmaria–and all the worlds begin to align!

So get ready to add a new program to your line-up, it looks like His Dark Materials will be airing sometime this fall or early winter. (And keep your wands crossed that Lin-Manuel Miranda will eventually crossover into the wizarding world. That’s really not too much to ask, is it?)

Now on to official wizarding business–Scholastic revealed plans to release a new behind-the-scenes look at the magical stage production enchanting theater communities around the globe. Titled Harry Potter and the Cursed Child–The Journey, the book will hit store shelves Nov. 5, and fans were able to get a preview of the exclusive content at the Cursed Child booth.

Of course, that wasn’t the only Cursed Child news for day one of SDCC. Nicholas Podany, Broadway’s Albus Potter, was on hand to introduce San Francisco’s Scorpius Malfoy. Raise your Butterbeers for Jon Steiger! 

The pair looked to be having a blast and invited fans to submit Harry Potter-themed challenges, which they’ll answer LIVE on Twitter Friday! (We can’t help but be reminded of the Weasley twins…) 

SDCC also hosted a Cursed Child panel, including three of the 11 illusion consultants who work on the production team. Chris Fisher, Jamie Harrison and Skylar Fox took to the stage to explain some of the magic behind the play’s stagecraft. From curses to charms, the experts used exclusive footage and live demonstrations to keep the audience spellbound. 

Pottermore was in attendance to cover the panel:

Podany and Steiger did make an appearance as well, and Nicholas discussed some of his favorite magical moments from the two-part play.

Leaky correspondents Lauren Osborne and Sydney Dean will be arriving via Portkey (at least, that’s our story) Friday and will be visiting the Cursed Child booth, so look for their live coverage on all our social media channels. Hopefully they’ll have the chance to chat with some of the cast!

Finally, Leaky posted an exclusive report from Hero Collector. The collectibles company announced at SDCC Thursday that its next figure will be Fantastic Beasts’ Niffler. So, hold on to your galleons–figuratively speaking, of course!

In addition to making the rounds of the booths on day two, Leaky plans to visit as many panels of interest as possible. From Her Universe, the company which just unveiled a mini-collection of Potter-themed dresses, The Walking Dead, Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and 10 Points to Slytherin: Why Good Fans Love Evil Creatures to Dan Fogler’s Awesome Mixer Vol. 2 After Party, check in for our on-site coverage.

We’ll also be bringing news from the Wizard’s Unite immersive experience session, and don’t forget to meet up with fellow players for a walking tour at 5 p.m. PT just outside the convention center at Bayfront Park!





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.