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HBO has released a sneak peek of its upcoming Harry Potter TV series with the first photos of actor Dominic McLaughlin in his Harry Potter costume and Nick Frost dressed as Rubeus Hagrid.
The show has started production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the U.K., which is where the original movie franchise was filmed from 2000 to 2010. The network has also made a few more casting announcements for supporting characters, including Harry's cousin Dudley Dursley and fellow Gryffindor Neville Longbottom.
The show is set to premiere in 2027 and will be based on the original story but with major plot changes, and each season will focus on one of the seven books in the internationally popular literary series. The episodes are being written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner; Mark Mylod, who worked as an executive producer and director on the HBO drama Succession, will direct several episodes, according to Warner Bros.
In December, Variety reported that Discovery global streaming chief JB Perrette said the show is expected to be a 10-year project.
Here’s what we know so far about the cast.
McLaughlin will be playing the iconic role of Harry Potter. Daniel Radcliffe starred as the character from 2001 through 2011. The Scottish actor, who is about 11 years old, is also set to appear in the BBC's Gifted series, which is expected to premiere sometime in late 2025, and Sky's new original film Grow.
Eleven-year-old Stanton will play Hermione Granger, one of the brightest witches of her generation. The character was previously played by actress Emma Watson in all eight Harry Potter films. This is Stanton's first onscreen role, having previously starred in Matilda on London's West End in 2023.
Stout will play Ron Weasley, the sixth and youngest son in the Weasley family. English actor Rupert Grint originated the role, starting when he was just 11 years old. According to Stout's online actor profile, this will be his first onscreen acting role after previously being cast in a commercial for Albert Barlett potatoes.
Pratt will play Slytherin antagonist Draco Malfoy, who was originally portrayed by Tom Felton in the films. The young British actor is also starring as one of the lead characters in the BBC's upcoming adaptation of Lord of the Flies, the 1954 novel by William Golding.
Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. The character has previously been played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in the Harry Potter franchise and Jude Law and Toby Regbo in the Fantastic Beasts series.
“Well, it came as a total surprise to me,” Lithgow told ScreenRant in February. “I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That's why it's been such a hard decision. I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes.”
The British actor has been cast as Severus Snape, the potions professor at Hogwarts. Alan Rickman played Snape in all eight Harry Potter films. Essiedu earned several nominations for his role in the BBC’s I May Destroy You and costarred with Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
McTeer will play Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House and the deputy headmistress under Dumbledore. Actress Maggie Smith played McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies, while Fiona Glascott played her in Fantastic Beasts. McTeer has won multiple theater, film and TV awards and nominations and will also star in the upcoming Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning with Tom Cruise.
Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant who works as the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Robbie Coltrane originated the character in the Harry Potter movies. Frost is most well known for his involvement in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, which includes Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and World’s End.
Whitehouse will play Argus Filch, the caretaker at Hogwarts. He was portrayed by David Bradley in every Harry Potter film. While Filch did not appear in the last two Harry Potter movies, the character does appear in every book. The British actor was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy show The Fast Show, which ran from 1994 to 2014.
The British stage actor will play Quirinus Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the first book and movie, which means Thallon will only be in the first season of the show. Ian Hart played Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Thallon has played the lead for multiple major stage productions in London.
Flynn has been cast as Draco Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy, previously played by Jason Isaacs. Flynn starred in Netflix's sitcom Lovesick and is also known for his performances as David Bowie in Stardust and George Knightley in Emma, an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. Isaacs, who played Lucius in the original Harry Potter films, reacted to the casting in a post on Instagram on June 9, saying he was "thrilled to be passing the keys to Malfoy Manor" and called Flynn "a brilliant actor."
Powley will be playing Harry's aunt Petunia Dursley, originally portrayed by actress Fiona Shaw. Powley, 33, earned a British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer nomination in 2015 for her role as Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out. Her performance in the coming-of-age film The Diary of a Teenage Girl earned her the Trophée Chopard award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Rigby will play Harry's uncle Vernon Dursley, who was played by the actor Richard Griffiths in the original films. Rigby's acting history is a mix of stage theater, stand-up comedy, films and TV. On Instagram, the comedian said he was "thrilled to be playing the world's worst muggle, Uncle Vernon."
Parkinson will play Ron Weasley’s mom, Molly Weasley, who was previously played by Julie Walters. Parkinson broke out for her role in the British comedy series The IT Crowd, which earned her two BAFTA awards for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2009 and 2014. She also earned an Olivier Award nomination for her performance in the stage play Home, I'm Darling, in 2018.
HBO unveiled more cast members on June 8, who will play minor — but still memorable — characters in the upcoming TV show.
Amos Kitson is playing Dudley Dursley, who was played by Harry Melling in the movies.
Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, previously played by Zoë Wanamaker.
Anton Lesser is Garrick Ollivander, formerly played by John Hurt.
Leo Earley is Seamus Finnigan, previously portrayed by Devon Murray.
Alessia Leoni is Parvati Patil, originally played by Shefali Chowdhury.
Sienna Moosah is Lavender Brown, played by Jessie Cave in the films.
Bertie Carvel will play Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, who was previously played by Robert Hardy.
For now, no original cast members or producers from the movie series have been announced to be part of the upcoming show.
Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, told ComicBook in June 2023 that he supported the new show but was not interested in being involved.
“I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way," he said. "But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world, and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.”
Several actors involved in the film series — Rickman, Coltrane, Gambon and Smith — have since died.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that he and HBO and Max executives Casey Bloys and Channing Dungey have met with author J.K. Rowling about the reboot.
“We spent some real time with J.K. and her team,” Zaslav said during a Warner Bros. company call in December. “Both sides are thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”
In a Warner Bros. press release in 2023, Rowling said, “Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation, which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series.”
Bloys told IndieWire in November 2024 that Rowling has “been fairly involved in the process of selecting the writer and director” of the TV show and will “have opinions on casting.”
On the April 30 episode of The Town podcast, which covers Hollywood news, Bloys defended HBO's decision to continue working with Rowling on the show after some fans raised concerns over her political beliefs.
"The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us," Bloys said. "We’ve been in business for 25 years. We already have a show on HBO from her called C.B. Strike that we do with the BBC. It’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She’s entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter."
Fan concerns about Rowling's involvement have popped up multiple times since the new series was announced. At the end of April, Essiedu, who was cast as Snape, along with Eddie Redmayne, who starred in Fantastic Beasts, and Katie Leung, who was in the original Harry Potter films, signed an open letter calling on the U.K.'s entertainment industry to protect the transgender community.
While Rowling condemned the petition on X, she later responded directly to speculation she would fire Essiedu from the new series, writing: "I don't have the power to sack an actor from the series, and I wouldn't exercise it if I did. I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine."
