New Faces Step Into Iconic Roles
HBO has announced the casting of three young actors in the lead roles for its upcoming Harry Potter reboot series. Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The casting follows an open call held last year for British children aged nine to eleven. More than 30,000 children auditioned for the opportunity to portray the beloved characters.
Arabella Stanton, Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout
Casting Directors Conclude Wide Search
Casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann led the search for the young actors. Showrunner Francesca Gardiner and executive producer Mark Mylod confirmed the trio’s selection in a joint statement. “After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione and Ron,” Gardiner and Mylod said. “The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen.” “We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It’s been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.”
Production Plans and Timeline
The series is scheduled to begin filming during the upcoming summer in the UK. Production will take place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, a key site for previous Harry Potter projects. HBO expects the new Harry Potter series to debut in 2026. The series will serve as a “faithful adaptation” of JK Rowling’s original books, according to HBO. Each season will cover a single book from the seven-part series. HBO plans for the series to run for over a decade.
Backgrounds of the New Leads
McLaughlin has acted in the upcoming Sky comedy Grow, which stars Nick Frost and Golda Rosheuvel. He will also appear in the BBC action-adventure series Gifted. Stanton recently starred as Matilda in Matilda: The Musical on London’s West End from 2023 to 2024. Stout’s role as Ron Weasley marks his first major screen appearance. The trio’s roles were originally played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint beginning in 2001.
Confirmed Cast and Crew Line-up
Several other cast members have also been announced for the HBO series. John Lithgow will portray Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Janet McTeer will play Professor Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu will appear as Professor Severus Snape. Nick Frost has been cast as groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid. Luke Thallon will portray Professor Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse will play caretaker Argus Filch. Gardiner serves as showrunner and executive producer and will oversee the writing of the series. Mylod will direct multiple episodes and also serves as executive producer.
Paapa Essiedu, Janet McTeer and Nick Frost will portray Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall and Hagrid
Production Partners and Creative Oversight
The series is a collaboration between HBO, Warner Bros. Television and Brontë Film and TV. Author JK Rowling retains an executive producer credit for the series. Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts will represent Brontë Film and TV in the project. David Heyman of Heyday Films, who produced the original film series, is also involved as an executive producer.
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Public Commentary and HBO’s Position
HBO content chief Casey Bloys addressed public concern over Rowling’s views during an appearance on “The Town” podcast. “We already have a show on HBO from her called ‘C.B. Strike’ that we do with the BBC,” Bloys said. “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.”
Representation and Management
Stanton is represented by Gavin Mills and Julie Gordon at Olivia Bell, and by Public Eye. Further casting announcements are expected as production approaches.
