First photos of Harry and Hagrid revealed for HBO's 'Harry Potter' series as filming begins; meet the full cast
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 around 11 years old, is also set to appear in 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 on-screen 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 on-screen 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 co-starred 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 late 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.
Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, originally played by Matthew Lewis.
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 the late 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 re-igniting 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."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Barbenheimer's Epic Double Feature Happened 2 Years Ago, And I'm Worried I'll Never Get That Same Experience
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Back in 2023, there was a time when it felt as if all was right with the world, and that, my friends, was Barbenheimer. While the 2025 movie schedule has been filled to the brim with great releases, I really don't think we're going to get another time like this, and that worries me. It's been two years. I know, it's hard to believe it, but it has, and it honestly feels like a lifetime at this point. We have had some major releases come out since then, such as the latest Superman, which turned me into a fan. Or we could point to Wicked, which took over the world for a month or two. However, nothing has hit quite as hard as when these two films – Barbie and Oppenheimer – were released simultaneously. And honestly, I don't think we're going to get another instance like this, at least for a long time. Barbenheimer Was Perfectly Timed During The Summer I think a big reason why Barbenheimer was such a success was that both of these releases were planned at the perfect time – right in the middle of summer. I always feel that the most successful blockbusters tend to happen at this point, and it's clear both of these, by their box office amounts, did incredibly well. Barbie earned well over $1 billion, and Oppenheimer came really close to the mark, as did a rated-R movie. However, because many people had a day off or two during this time, seeing the double feature was that much easier. The Amount Of Marketing For Both Was Done Amazingly Well And Spawned An Era Unlike Any Other Another significant factor contributing to this success is that the marketing teams were on point. We all already knew Christopher Nolan's best films. We were all already aware of the pull Barbie had as a toy. However, the fact that these two were eventually marketed together as a double feature paved the way for its success. They had their marketing – it was practically pink mania for months with Barbie. However, I think it worked best when people combined the films into one prominent double feature, allowing fans to dress up for each and go out with their friends, making it a whole event rather than just an outing or a date. That's the key in marketing here. The Fanbases Somehow Collided In A Way Unlike Ever Before, And I Don't Think We'll Get That Again The beauty of this is that Barbenheimer is special. Something like this has happened before, where two totally conflicting genres released major films on the same day – The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia!, a movie I rewatch all the time – but that was never as grand an event. The same thing happened with the release of Wicked and Gladiator, and how marketing teams tried to make it the new Barbenheimer, but it just didn't work – even if both films did very well. I think Barbenheimer is a one-and-done, and that does sadden me. There was something so…magical about this time, as cheesy as that sounds. The idea of two completely different fan bases coming together to celebrate films, in two totally different styles, is something that I will always love and never forget. The hype that led up to this made it even more enjoyable, and attending the double feature with my friends and a crowd of people who just loved movies was unlike any other. Maybe one day we'll get another Barbenheimer. But you know what? I'm happy with it living in my memory, even if I feel that we're never going to get another time like this one. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
James Gunn Reveals What Peacemaker S1E1 Scene Isn't Canon to DCU
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has confirmed which scene from the first episode of Peacemaker Season 1 won't be canon to the DC Universe. This comes ahead of the John Cena-led DCU series' HBO Max return on August 21 for its long-awaited second season. Peacemaker is created, written, and directed by Gunn, who also serves as its showrunner. Season 2 will feature the return of Cena, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick. Joining them are new cast members Frank Grillo, David Denman, Sol Rodriguez, and Tim Meadows. Which Peacemaker Season 1 scene isn't canon to the DCU? In the debut episode of the Peacemaker Podcast, Gunn shared some new behind-the-scenes stories and interesting details from Peacemaker Season 1 Episode 1. One of these details includes clarifying which scene from the episode was going to change due to the DCU. When asked about the opening scene from the first episode, which featured Cena's Peacemaker hilariously arguing with a hospital worker about Aquaman, Gunn confirmed that fans will have to disregard the scene since Aquaman won't be a famous superhero during the current timeline of his DCU. 'One of the things that people are most confused by, as Peter Safran and I took over DC is, what is part of the DCU? This is the world that Superman lives in. This is the world that the Creature Commandos lives in. Up until this point, those are the only two things that are fully 100% canon. And the same thing is going to be true about Peacemaker Season 2. It's fully 100% canon in the DC, but we did have to go back and change a few things from Season 1,' Gunn clarified. 'Is Aquaman canon? We don't know. But my guess, I don't think Aquaman's canon. It's unlikely that Aquaman is a famous hero in the DCU as Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 is happening. That's unlikely. But other than that, I really think everything in this episode, I think, is canon.' (Source: Threads) Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Marc Maron Reveals the Cost to Use a Taylor Swift Song — and the Mutual Celebrity Friend Who Helped Him Get Access
The comedian and podcaster used Swift's 'Bigger Than the Whole Sky' for his soon-to-be-released stand-up special Marc Maron said getting the rights to Taylor Swift's music doesn't come without a hefty price tag. The comedian and podcaster, 61, spent major dollars in order to use a specific song from the pop star's catalog for his upcoming stand-up special, he revealed on the July 25 episode of Vulture's Good One podcast. Licensing Swift's song 'Bigger Than the Whole Sky' — a bonus track on the 3am Edition of her 2022 album Midnights — cost about "$50,000," Maron said. He added that he felt he needed the specific track for a pivotal moment in his HBO special, Marc Maron: Panicked, so he reached out to a mutual friend, Jack Antonoff, for help. 'I know Jack Antonoff enough to text him — and he's the co-writer on that song,' Maron explained. 'I said, 'I don't know what's proper or how to do this, but we're running out of money on this thing. It's probably going to come out of my pocket. Is there anything you can do about this song or talk to Taylor?' ' Maron said Antonoff, 41, advised him to go through official music licensing channels, and he was ultimately able to get approval to use the track. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! 'It was doable,' Maron said, adding, however, that the tens of thousands of dollars only covered the use of one minute of the song. 'I would have gone over the minute, [but] it would have been more money,' he explained. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Maron said he doesn't know if Swift, 35, has heard the specific joke in the special that her team signed off on, but he was 'manifesting' that she would indeed like it if she did — for the sake of his project. 'It had to happen,' Maron said. 'The real fear [was], like, [if] she doesn't let you use it, and then what do you do? You can't do the bit on the special.' While Maron didn't reveal the content of the bit in question, he has spoken about Swift's music — and his journey to becoming a Swiftie — in the past. 'I'm an open-minded guy, and I like music. I [wanted] to try to figure out what it is about Taylor Swift that everyone never shuts up about," he said on a May 2023 episode of his long-running podcast, WTF with Marc Maron. Maron said he ended up listening to Swift's Midnights album on a hike, and he was impressed with what her heard. 'I'm like, 'Alright. I get it.' It's pop music, but it's not dance music [and] it's, sort of, emotional. There's a lot of longing and sadness and isolation and processing these overwhelming feelings of melancholy," he recalled. When previously discussing the new special, the comedian said, per Deadline, that he felt like 'this is the best work' he's ever done, adding, 'Everything came together." Maron's latest creative endeavor comes two years after his last HBO special, the critically acclaimed From Bleak to Dark, which explored grief and the experience of losing his partner, filmmaker Lynn Shelton, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marc Maron: Panicked premieres on HBO on Friday, Aug. 1, at 8:00 p.m. EST. It will also be available to stream on HBO Max. Read the original article on People
