'Harry Potter' Reboot Series Casts Four of Its Best Villains
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
Harry Potter and his friends have to face their share of powerful villains through the course of their adventures, but in at least some circles of fandom, none are more hated than the ones he has to live with: his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley.
Well, the Dursleys have been cast in the upcoming HBO Max "Harry Potter" series. Variety reports Bel Powley will play Petunia while Daniel Rigby will play Vernon. There's no word yet on the casting for their son, Dudley.
Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby have been cast as the elder Dursleys in the live-action 'HARRY POTTER' series.
(Source: https://t.co/V4SiJIyVpY) pic.twitter.com/rBwfdIPDq7 — DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 9, 2025
Read More: 'Mass Effect' Series Moving Forward With 'Star Trek' Writer
Petunia is the sister of Harry's mother, Lily, to whom the young boy is sent to live after his parents' deaths. His new guardians dislike him so much, they actually force him to live in a cupboard under their stairs.
Harry, Ron and Hermione react in shock
Harry, Ron and Hermione react in shock
Warner Bros
But it isn't just villains at home that have been added to the cast. Actors have also been tapped to play the infamous Draco and Lucius Malfoy. Deadline reports that Lox Pratt is playing the young Draco while Johnny Flynn plays his father Lucius.
The Malfoys have been cast for the live-action 'HARRY POTTER' series:
Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy
Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy pic.twitter.com/FOXdn3H43P — DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 9, 2025
Tom Felton played Draco Malfoy in the films, and he recently revealed he will be the first star from the movies to appear in the stage play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child".
Back to the reboot series - Hogwarts itself seems to be filling up with Leo Earley cast as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni playing Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah tapped to play Lavender Brown.
Finally there is the Weasley matriarch Molly Weasley, who is being played by Katherine Parkinson.
This news comes following the reveal that the three heroes themselves had finally been chosen for the reboot series. Dominic McLaughlin is playing Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton has been cast as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout takes on the role of Ron Weasley.
Previously announced casting for the series include Luke Thallon as Professor Quirinus Quirrell, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Still missing from casting announcements is fittingly, He-Who-Most-Not-Be-Named, aka the series villain Voldemort. Rumors have pointed to Cillian Murphy as a favorite for the part and former Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes has even given his thumbs up to the matching, but there's been no official word.
More TV:
Everything We Know About Netflix's Season 4 of 'Ginny & Georgia'
Alien: Earth Trailer Channels the Terror of the Original 1979 Classic
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Exclusive: Bonnie Blue on Feminism, Consent and Online Hate
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. If you've been on the internet in the past 12 months, then you've most likely heard the name Bonnie Blue. The 26-year-old British sex worker launched her OnlyFans account in 2023 and quickly became notorious online, thanks to installing herself on college campuses in the U.K. and Australia and sleeping with what she described as "barely legal" 18- and 19-year-olds. The men in question would provide proof of age and fill in consent forms, and Blue would then upload content onto OnlyFans, an online content-sharing platform that can be used to share any kind of content, such as photos, recipes and writing, but is particularly popular among sex workers. Although the men have reached the legal age of consent, outrage has ensued. Some of the young men have lost their virginity to Blue on screen, and concerns have been raised regarding both consent in this context, and the implications of this kind of sexual activity for young men. In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Bonnie Blue discussed consent, feminism and how she deals with online hate. In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Bonnie Blue discussed consent, feminism and how she deals with online hate. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva/Instagram Toward the end of 2024, Blue, a mere year into her adult film career, had received death threats, been deported from Fiji and faced a petition to be banned from Australia. But things hit fever pitch in January of 2025 when Blue reached the height of virality after claiming to have slept with 1,057 men in 12 hours. Since then, she's become a fixture in the tabloid press and faced mounting scrutiny online, most recently receiving a permanent ban from OnlyFans. She also made it across the pond to do a tour of America, starting out in Las Vegas and then heading to Houston to appear on The Isiah Factor Uncensored. Whether you love her or hate her, it's no secret that in an attention economy, notoriety and virality are lucrative currencies. And Blue has ensured one thing with her content: you probably know her name. But who actually is Bonnie Blue? Newsweek spoke to the woman behind the headlines for an exclusive interview, where she discussed consent, feminism and how she deals with online hate. 'I wouldn't say I'm not a feminist' Blue's ascent to fame comes at a critical and complex moment for gender politics, both online and offline. In the 2010s, the internet was dominated by so-called Girlboss feminism, body positivity and the watershed of the #MeToo movement. The 2020s though, have seen a shift toward conservatism, and the embrace of traditional gender roles for women is becoming more mainstream. Things are incredibly polarized. On one side, you'll find women who say they found ultimate peace in their role as homemaker, and the surge of the so-called "trad wife." On the other, you'll find women who say they've found ultimate empowerment through sex work. Blue sits in the latter camp. "I wouldn't say I'm not a feminist," she tells Newsweek over a video interview. "I do believe women should have a voice and they should be in control," she says. "A lot of people say I actually bring women back 100 years, but I'm a clear example of a lady that's taken full control of the body." Blue continues. "This is to a certain degree, what feminism has asked for, a woman that can take control. I don't feel intimidated by men. I'm actually paid more than guys in my industry. I have a complete voice and I don't ever feel taken advantage of." The debate over sex work is one that has long raged, but thanks to the rise of OnlyFans and stars like Blue, it's made its way out of fringe feminist circles and into the mainstream. A quick search on TikTok or Instagram will soon throw up hundreds of videos debating whether or not sex work is empowering or oppressive. Such videos regularly receive hundreds of thousands of views. So too do videos by actual sex workers. Though their income is made on content that sits behind paywalls, in 2025 we're in an era of sex work social media marketing, where sex workers build prominent profiles on platforms like Instagram and TikTok to boost engagement on their paid-for content. But while this content is booming on social media algorithms, public opinion remains split. In 2020, an analysis from left-leaning think tank Data for Progress found that 52 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat supported decriminalization of sex work, compared with 35 percent who opposed it and 13 percent who were unsure. As for the rise of the tradwife phenomenon? Blue told Newsweek:" I don't think you have to be submissive." Blue said she knows people whose preference is to be a stay-at-home mum, doing cooking, cleaning and being given "rules" by their partner. "As long as you enjoy that, that makes you happy. I don't care that you don't want to go to work. I don't care that you don't want to feel empowered," Blue said. "But also, if a woman wants to leave the partner because the partner's being controlling and they want to earn their own money, they want to become a sex worker or they want to become a CEO of a business, then go and do that because we're in a world where you can," she added. "Women are in power, and you need to take advantage of that," Blue told Newsweek. 'I'm not a predator, I'm not a groomer' At the time of reporting, a Google search for the term "Bonnie Blue predator," yields 1.6 million results, while "Bonnie Blue groomer," yields a further 1.3 million. Concerns that Blue is furthering rape culture, and a broader culture of violence against women, have been dominant in the media since she first rose to public prominence. But one specific incident has poured gasoline on the fire. Blue was planning to organize a "petting zoo," where she would, in her words "be tied up in a glass box" with members of the public invited to go and "use" her however they saw fit. Her aim was to break her own world record and sleep with 2,000 men. A TikTok from the account @ainsleycaresalot about the petting zoo has the text overlay "Bonnie Blue's petting zoo makes me sick. This is setting women back 100 years. Its teaching men that we are just here for their pleasure,"and has has been viewed 3 million times as of reporting. A post on X, formerly Twitter, from @paniniboy7 which referred to the petting zoo as "terrifying" and calls Blue a "danger to society" has been viewed 12.5 million times. A TikTok edit from the account @definehertruth that shows Blue speaking about the petting zoo cut next to footage of women's rights marches has been viewed over 15 million times. "I get blamed for rape culture a lot, especially at the moment," Blue told Newsweek. "There's been people that have been raped," which Blue described as "terrible" before adding that said people have "spoken out and saying they blame me for their rape." "I look at that and I'm like, I'm not responsible, I wasn't the one that raped you," she said. "I get called predator all the time, and groomer. I sleep with 18-year-olds," Blue said. "I'm not a predator, I'm not a groomer." The fallout over the petting zoo came just before Blue was permanently banned from OnlyFans. In a statement given to the British outlet Metro, an OnlyFans spokesperson said: "Extreme challenge content is not available on OnlyFans and is not permitted under our Acceptable Use Policy and Terms of Service. Any breach of our Terms of Service results in content or account deactivation... This is why it has been necessary to take this action. We always act when users breach our terms of service." Speaking to Newsweek, Blue denied having broken any of OnlyFans terms and conditions. OnlyFans did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this article. Would she ever consider creating her own platform? "Possibly," she told Newsweek. But her next step is switching to Fansly, a platform she described as being "more sex worker friendly." "Fansly will be much better suited for me short term and long term, because they're proud of the sex workers." Addressing the criticism she has faced, Blue told Newsweek: "When you're a sex worker, you get hate, regardless. 'You're disgusting, you're a prostitute, s***, w*****,' you get it all anyway." Blue also addressed a recent rumor that has circulated about her. "I've got loads of hate saying I'm transgender," she said. Google Trends data shows that searches for "Bonnie Blue trans," began in December of 2024, but skyrocketed in mid-June, after a post went viral on X from the account @BrockRiddickIFB claiming that Blue was a transgender woman and used to go by the name of Kyle Butler. "I just look at that and think, how can I be offended? How can I be taking your comments to heart? Because I'm not transgender," she said. "So why should I be bothered that so many uneducated people are just going to make up rumors?" Blue added: "If the hate comments was valid and they had facts behind them, I'd probably be offended. But when it is just coming from poorly, uneducated people that know nothing about me, I'm like, how can I be hurt by them? I just find them entertaining." When asked if her content falls into the genre of rage bait, a tactic used to elicit online outrage to increase traffic and engagement, she told Newsweek: "I'm purposely playing it for sure." "Rage bait is good because people are so stupid," Blue said. "They're so poorly educated at times that I just play off that. If more people was clever, I wouldn't be as successful as I am." Consent is the 'most important thing' Asked whether she believes what she describes as "barely legal adults" fully understand the implications of being involved in public sex work, Blue said: "Yeah, 100 percent." "18-year-olds have been brought up with the internet," she said. "They understand digital footprint." "I find it very hypocritical when the older generation say 'they don't understand the internet.'" Blue said. "But I can guarantee you the first time they have a question about the internet or online things, they're going to be asking their son or daughter because they know the younger generation have a much better understanding." "If an 18-year-old murdered someone, they'll be tried at adult court. So they're allowed to have sex. Sex is actually not a massive thing," she told Newsweek. Asked what responsibility she has to her audience, Blue told Newsweek "consent." "Discussing consent, discussing, what's OK, what's not OK," she said. "Before I've met someone, when I meet someone during the video, during any intercourse with someone, I'll be like, are you OK or you enjoying this? Are you having a good time, let me know if you're comfortable," she said. Blue told Newsweek that consent is the "most important thing."
CNET
11 hours ago
- CNET
My Favorite Movie Is Spicy and Mesmerizing -- And You Can Stream It for Free Right Now
There is only one movie that I wish I could erase from my memory simply to have the pleasure of watching it again for the first time. That film is Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Céline Sciamma's 2019 masterpiece of forbidden love, tension, drama and enough historical period reverie to make my costume-loving heart soar. I can count on one hand the number of times I've finished watching a film for the first time and immediately turned around to rewatch it again, and this film makes the cut. Best of yet, it streams for free on Kanopy, so seriously, what are you waiting for? Ok, fine. If you need a little more convincing, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a visually stunning, relevant and surprisingly modern film that absolutely brims with slow-burn passion. And that's before you throw in the breathtaking cinematography. From the moment I saw the movie as an undergraduate film student at UNC Chapel Hill, I've racked up at least a dozen viewings. And I'm hooked. The best option, in my not-so-humble opinion, is to watch free on Kanopy, but it's also available on HBO Max -- one of CNET's picks for best streaming service -- with a paid subscription or available to rent on Prime Video, but the easiest option is to watch free right now on Kanopy with your (also free) public library login or university ID credentials. Almost every scene in Portrait of a Lady on Fire looks like a masterpiece painting. Lilies Films/Hold-Up Films/Arte France Cinéma Set in 1770 Brittany, in northern France, Portrait of a Lady on Fire tells the story of Marianne, a middle-class painter commissioned by a countess to paint the wedding portrait of her daughter, Héloïse, a young woman forced to leave the convent to enter an arranged marriage with a Milanese nobleman. Opposing the marriage, Héloïse refuses to sit for any portrait, which would guarantee her marriage, so Marianne must produce the portrait in secret. Having already exhausted other painters, the Countess instructs Marianne to act as Héloïse's companion, accompanying her day to day while silently memorizing her features to paint in secret. Through these meetings, the two women form a friendship and eventually a romance that transcends boundaries of class and sexuality. Tragically, Marianne is forced to create the one object that will ensure the end of her blossoming relationship with Héloïse. Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel deliver engrossing and elegant performances. Lilies Films/Hold-Up Films/Arte France Cinéma Starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, accompanied by an almost entirely female cast, the film is a powerfully acted LGBTQ+ romance that studies power, memory, passion and desire through the eyes of women. Despite its 18th century setting, the film unflinchingly examines modern themes of gender, class, sexuality and reproductive rights -- all of which suffocate under a repressive patriarchal society, yet flourish when those strict confines are removed. Noted as a feminist film that banishes the male gaze, reinterprets the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and subverts expectations of the master/muse relationship, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a rare feminist triumph. With its nuanced themes, exquisite cinematography and emotionally resonant performances, it's a beautifully moving film and you're sure to have a profound and unforgettable cinematic experience. Or, if you're like me, you'll just sob in front of a theater full of strangers and not even care. Either way, you're in for a treat. (And while you're at it, I will probably be watching it for the umpteenth time.) Portrait of a Lady on Fire won the Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Lilies Films/Hold-Up Films/Arte France Cinéma Portrait of a Lady on Fire was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The film lost that top honor to Bong Joon-ho's Parasite, but won the Queer Palm, becoming the first film directed by a woman to win the award. Sciamma also won the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2019. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is just one of our CNET experts' favorite movies that's available to stream now. You should also explore our full rundown of the best movies on Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Plus, stream our favorite horror double feature on Netflix. More movie recommendations:
Hamilton Spectator
11 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
What to Stream: ‘The Bear,' Lorde, ‘Smoke,' ‘A Minecraft Movie,' ‘Nosferatu' and Nelly and Ashanti
The Jack Black-led movie phenomenon 'A Minecraft Movie' and Lorde's fourth studio album, 'Virgin,' are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists : All 10 episodes of season four of FX's 'The Bear' drop Wednesday, Nelly and Ashanti get their own reality show and Bill Skarsgård leads an update of the 1922 silent vampire classic 'Nosferatu.' New movies to stream from June 23-29 — The Porky Pig and Daffy Duck movie 'The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie' comes to HBO Max on Friday (it will also broadcast on HBO on June 28 at 8 p.m. ET). Reviews were a little mixed, but mostly positive for the full-length animated feature. Bob Strauss wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle that 'The laugh ratio is more hit-and-miss than in the tightly scripted shorts, but enough jokes land to satisfy most funny bones.' The film had a wild ride to end up where it was originally intended, including a theatrical release in December not from Warner Bros. but Ketchup Entertainment (who will also distribute the previously shelved 'Coyote vs. Acme' ). — Mariska Hargitay's documentary about her mother Jayne Mansfield, 'My Mom Jayne,' will also be streaming on HBO Max on Friday. The Hollywood bombshell died in a car accident at 34, when Hargitay was only 3. — La-la-la-lava, ch-ch-ch-chicken, Steve's lava chicken is now streaming on HBO Max, as is the rest of 'A Minecraft Movie.' A box office phenomenon with over $950 million in worldwide ticket sales and counting, this movie adaptation of the popular game stars Jack Black and Jason Momoa. In his AP review, Mark Kennedy wrote that 'the Jared Hess-directed action-adventure artfully straddles the line between delighting preteen gamers and keeping their parents awake. It's an often-bananas adaptation, with bizarre digressions into turquoise blouses and tater tot pizzas. It has Jennifer Coolidge being very Jennifer Coolidge. Need we say more?' — Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård lead the Robert Eggers-directed update of the 1922 silent vampire classic 'Nosferatu,' streaming on Prime Video starting Friday. Jocelyn Noveck wrote in her AP review that 'it will chill you to the bone' but that 'it may not terrify you.' Everything, she adds, in Eggers 'faithful, even adoring remake ... looks great. But with its stylized, often stilted dialogue and overly dramatic storytelling, it feels more like everyone is living in a quaint period painting rather than a world populated by real humans (and, well, vampires) made of flesh and, er, blood.' — AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr New music to stream from June 23-29 — What will the next era of Lorde look like? 'What Was That,' the singer's first new single in four years, recalls the clever synth-pop of her 2017 album 'Melodrama,' casting aside the folk detour of 2021's 'Solar Power.' The song that followed, 'Man of the Year,' is stripped and spare – just Lorde and a sorrowful bass. Who knows what will come next? Listeners will have to wait until Friday when she releases her fourth studio album, 'Virgin.' (Read AP's review.) — The 'F1' movie, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, is quickly gearing up to be a summer tentpole. Naturally, the filmmakers knew its sound had to be massive, too. That arrives via a score by the many-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and a huge soundtrack releasing as 'F1 The Album' via Atlantic Records, the team behind the award-winning 'Barbie' album — with bespoke tracks from Chris Stapleton, Ed Sheeran, Myke Towers, Blackpink's Rosé, Tate McRae and many more. Learn all about how the soundtrack came together here. — On Friday, arty alt-rock legends Failure will receive documentary treatment in 'Every Time You Lose Your Mind: A Film about Failure,' available to stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. The unorthodox and influential band finally gets their due in the project, directed by frontman Ken Andrews. And don't worry if Failure isn't a familiar name to you. Some of the featured voices in the documentary certainly will be: Paramore's Hayley Williams, actor Jason Schwartzman, comedian Margaret Cho, legendary producers Steve Albini and Butch Vig and many more participate. — AP Music Writer Maria Sherman New series to stream from June 23-29 — All 10 episodes of season four of FX's 'The Bear' dropped Wednesday on Hulu. Viewers will find out if Michelin-starred chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) can successfully run an acclaimed and profitable fine dining restaurant in Chicago. The series has led to acting awards for White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Liza Colón-Zayas. — Jensen Ackles ('Supernatural,' 'Tracker') stars in a new crime thriller series for Prime Video called 'Countdown.' Ackles plays a LAPD detective assigned to a task force investigating the murder of a government official. Eric Dane of 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Euphoria' also stars. It premiered Wednesday. — Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's second shot at love didn't work out but there's another celebrity couple who has rekindled a past flame. Recording artists Nelly and Ashanti were an item for more than 10 years before their breakup in 2013. They got back together in 2023 and are now married with a son. The pair are the subject of their own reality show called 'Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together.' It debuted Thursday on Peacock. — Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in the new thriller 'Smoke' for Apple TV+ as investigators working together to catch two serial arsonists. It's created by Dennis Lehane and based on a true story where an arson investigator turned out to be a serial arsonist. 'Smoke' reunites Egerton and Lehane who worked on the Apple limited-series 'Blackbird.' John Leguizamo and Greg Kinnear also appear in 'Smoke,' out Friday. — 'Nautilus,' a reimagining of Jules Verne's novel 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas' comes to AMC+ Friday. It's an origin story of the character known as Captain Nemo and portrayed by Shazad Latif. Nemo is an Indian prince whose birthright was stolen from him and he's on a mission for revenge. — Alicia Rancilio New video games to play from June 23-29 — In 2019's Death Stranding, a courier named Sam worked to reconnect survivors in a postapocalyptic America beset by 'beached things,' gooey monsters trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Sam is back in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , but now he faces a question we've all asked in the internet age: Was connecting everyone really such a good idea? The series is the brainchild of legendary 'Metal Gear Solid' mastermind Hideo Kojima, and fans know they can expect a complex story, flamboyant graphics and some off-the-wall gameplay ideas. (The original included a lot of walking and inventory management next to some mind-blowing boss battles.) Norman Reedus of 'The Walking Dead' returns as Sam, and yes, he's still carrying a baby who has psychic powers. Embrace the weirdness Thursday on PlayStation 5. — Lou Kesten
