Latest news with #RonWeasley
See - Sada Elbalad
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
HBO's "Harry Potter" Series Shares First Photo As Cameras Roll, Sets 2027 Release Window
Yara Sameh HBO's 'Harry Potter' TV series — the long-awaited and much-hyped return to J.K. Rowling's wizarding world — has officially begun production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the U.K., almost 14 years after 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' concluded Harry's journey on the big screen. The adaptation has also revealed a first look at Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, smiling in costume with the character's signature round glasses and school uniform. McLaughlin is joined by Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The new golden trio was selected from more than 30,000 actors who auditioned in a casting call last fall. New casting announced on Monday includes Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander. The series has also been confirmed to debut in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max. Led by showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod of 'Succession,' HBO's new take on the beloved book-turned-movie franchise will follow the young Potter as he discovers he's a wizard, leaves his Muggle family behind, and sets off to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Along the way, he befriends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and battles Lord Voldemort. The reimagining also stars John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge and Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby as Petunia and Vernon Dursley. From left to right: Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander. Each of the seven Harry Potter books will make up an entire season. Shooting on Season 1 is expected to last until the spring of 2026, with Season 2 then going into production after a short break. Newly announced department heads joining costume designer Holly Waddington include Adriano Goldman (director of photography), Cate Hall (hair and makeup designer), Paul Herbert (stunt coordinator), Mark Holt (SFX supervisor), Mara LePere-Schloop (production designer), Naomi Moore (set decorator), John Nolan (creature effects design supervisor), Alexis Wajsbrot (VFX supervisor) and Dom Sidoli (VFX producer). The series is written and executive produced by Gardiner. Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes, which is being made by HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Harry Potter' First Look: The New Boy Wizard Debuts as HBO Series Begins Filming, Sets 2027 Release Date
Hogwarts has reopened for a new term. HBO's 'Harry Potter' TV series — the long-awaited and much-hyped return to J.K. Rowling's wizarding world — has officially started production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the U.K., almost 14 years to the day that 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' concluded Harry's journey on the big screen. More from Variety 'The Pitt': Tracy Ifeachor Not Returning as Heather Collins for Season 2 'Duster' Canceled After One Season at HBO Max 'Big Bang Theory' Spinoff 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' Ordered to Series at HBO Max The show has also revealed a first look at Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, smiling in costume with the character's signature round glasses and school uniform. McLaughlin is joined by Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The young trio were selected from more than 30,000 actors who auditioned in a casting call last fall. New casting announced on Monday includes Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander. The series has also been confirmed to debut in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max where available. Led by showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod of 'Succession,' HBO's new take on the beloved book-turned-movie-franchise will follow the young Potter as he discovers he's a wizard, leaves his muggle family behind and sets off to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Along the way, he befriends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and battles Lord Voldemort. Elsewhere, John Lithgow ('Conclave,' 'The Crown') will play Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer ('Tumbleweeds,' 'The White Queen') is Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu ('I May Destroy You,' 'Gangs of London') is Severus Snape and Nick Frost ('Shaun of the Dead,' 'Hot Fuzz') is Rubeus Hagrid. Other names include Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge. Variety exclusively reported that Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby will play Petunia and Vernon Dursley. Each of the seven Harry Potter books will make up an entire season. Variety understands that shooting on Season 1 is expected to last until the spring of 2026, with Season 2 then going into production after a short break. Newly announced department heads joining costume designer Holly Waddington include Adriano Goldman (director of photography), Cate Hall (hair and makeup designer), Paul Herbert (stunt coordinator), Mark Holt (SFX supervisor), Mara LePere-Schloop (production designer), Naomi Moore (set decorator), John Nolan (creature effects design supervisor), Alexis Wajsbrot (VFX supervisor) and Dom Sidoli (VFX producer). The series is written and executive produced by Gardiner. Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes, which is being made by HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films. Best of Variety Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Harry Potter photo released as HBO's TV reboot begins filming; meet the full cast
HBO has released a sneak peek of its upcoming Harry Potter TV series with the first photo of actor Dominic McLaughlin in his Harry Potter costume. 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. 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."
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Desire, dissent, and the female gaze: Why women write so much fanfiction
When I was 11, I found the 'cool kids' in my bus discussing their favourite theories on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the way back from school. Desperate to join their conversation, I borrowed the first Harry Potter book from the library — unaware that it would change the course of my life. Over the next few years, I would read the series again and again and again. I would become what they call 'a fangirl', and I would wear the badge with pride. At the time, I was going through puberty in an all-girls school, and I knew I must pick a fictional man to fall in love with soon. I picked Ron Weasley (I was 'not like other girls', clearly). And I got to work, scouring the internet so I could learn everything about this Great Love Of My Life™. Inevitably, one day, I wound up on and read a fanfic where Ron and Hermione do more than kiss— gasp! (The kids would call this 'a canon event'.) Naturally, my brain exploded. I had discovered something rather magical. A sprawling, underground library full of stories where anything could happen. My favourite characters could slip off their narrative leashes and be free. They could fall in love with someone else, rewrite their endings or just have really graphic sex in the restricted section of the library, and no one would bat an eye. But the real kicker: not only could I read these stories… I could write them. I could take these characters, so beloved and so familiar, and use them as puppets — my puppets. (When it comes to teenage girls, give them the chance to play God and trust me, they will run with it.) At 22, I found myself studying 'Fandom Studies' as part of my college degree (yes, that's a real area of study — God bless English Lit). Reading what the scholars have to say on the subject compelled me to revisit my own childhood in an attempt to understand why fanfiction meant so much to me. Was it just because it ushered in my sexual awakening? Or did it also lay the foundation for me to become a writer? My boyfriend at the time had never read fanfiction and didn't get its appeal. This got me thinking — was there something specific about being a woman that made fanfiction so compelling to me? Turns out, the answer is a resounding yes. From the female lens Women drastically dominate fanfiction. More than 80% of people who read and write fanfiction on Archive of Our Own (AO3), the most popular fanfiction site, are women. In fact, more of its users identified as genderqueer (6%) than as male (4%). Why is that? For one, some scholars speculate that women are more inclined to write for free. Since fanfiction violates copyright by reimagining others' intellectual property, hosting platforms prevent writers from receiving any monetary compensation. Most AO3 authors are okay with that and take pride in being a part of the platform's anti-capitalist 'gift economy' based on exchange and collaboration. Men, however, are not likely to write for free, suggests American author Camille Bacon-Smith. Women, on the other hand, already engage in several acts of unpaid labour and can perhaps see the value of such writing. Historically, 'anonymous' has always been a woman. Even literary icons like Jane Austen, Ann Radcliffe and Mary Shelly published their early novels anonymously or under the mere title of 'lady'. While things changed for the better over time, books written by women are still priced lower than those written by men, a 2018 study found. It also noted, 'the more female a genre, the cheaper the books.' In this context, one can fairly assume that the genre with the least monetary value (fanfiction) should come to be the most female-dominated of them all. A place to rewrite rules Women may also take to fanfiction because it's inherently transgressive. Popular media is often from the male perspective — written, directed or produced by men. The transformative nature of fanfiction provides a means to subvert dominant cultural narratives as well as patriarchal or heteronormative ideas within media. Captain America and Bucky can be #couplegoals, Hermione Granger can be black, and your favourite member of One Direction can be in a wheelchair. Despite being a straight cis-het woman myself, I have found myself reading lots of slash fanfiction (stories of romance/sex featuring two characters of the same gender, typically straight, typically male). This baffled me till I read what Mel Stanfill, one of the researchers behind the 2022 AO3 survey, told Refinery29: 'Slash allows women to explore sexuality without the baggage of identification and the gender norms they are subjected to in real life'. The act of reimagining familiar stories invites alteration of not just gender roles, but also those of race, power and reality itself. For women and other marginalised groups, the freedom to craft a story on their own terms, without commercial barriers and away from scrutiny and judgement, is a kind of escapism they would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Owning desire Another popular idea is that fanfiction is just 'porn' for women. To be fair, while not all fanfiction contains romance or erotica, a lot of it does. The same things have been said (usually by a man, accompanied by a scoff and a smirk) about the modern BookTok romance novel. However, the idea of some kind of 'porn for women' is not just brilliant, but also important. And it's been around for ages (think — Mills & Boon). In a world where female desire has been routinely either erased or presented as 'forbidden' (even in its most straight-cis-vanilla-hetero-'normal'-form), fanfiction is where these desires (however kinky) can go to breathe. This is perhaps why some of the most successful fanfictions on the internet are not just based on romance but on sex. Psychologist Leon F Seltzer has written how men are hard-wired to receive visual cues as sexual impulses, but most women are not. Women require stimulation in the mind to become aroused. 'If there's such a thing as porn for women, it's the romance novel,' he wrote in a 2012 article. Dr Helen Wyatt, a sex therapist, notes how, for women, getting into a state of arousal means first feeling safe. Mainstream porn, which centres heavily around the male gaze, can be jarring or even disturbing to watch. In contrast, the gradual lead-up to sex in most erotic fiction, combined with the personal investment readers have in characters, helps them feel safe and therefore uninhibited. In fanfiction, the world, the backstory and most importantly, the characters are already achingly familiar. And it is therefore one of the safest places to explore desire. Women read and write fanfiction for a variety of different reasons. Many, like me, found themselves entrenched in a fandom, hungry for more material. Many others have used it as a space for escapism, dissent, power, sexual release or a combination of all these things. It can be collaborative or it can be anonymous — you get to choose. It is vast and nebulous and uncensored. There's no one to watch, judge, or police you. But the magic of it boils down to that feeling I had when I was 13, reading my first bit of Romione (that's Ron + Hermione, for the uninitiated) smut — the feeling of entering a text, deconstructing it and making it my own, dabbling in a world of infinite narrative possibility. A world with no rules, except the ones you decide should exist.
Irish Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Late Late Toy Show favourite cast in HBO's Harry Potter series
RTE Late Late Toy Show star Leo Earley has landed a role in HBO's new Harry Potter TV series. The Leitrim native, who impressed audiences with his monologue about hats in the Toy Show in 2024, will play the character of Seamus Finnigan in the highly-anticipated series, Variety reports. The role was previously played by Devon Murray in the film franchise. The IT Crowd star Katherine Parkinson was also announced to be playing Molly Weasley, the mother of Ron Weasley. Other additions to the cast include Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge. In May, newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout were announced to be playing the leading roles of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively. The cast also includes John Lithgow as Professor Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch and Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell. Each season of the new show will be a faithful adaptation of the books, which were written by author and executive producer JK Rowling. Rowling's books have already been made into movies with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint playing the three leads. Filming is taking place this summer in the UK.
