Arabella Stanton, Dominic McLaughlin, and Alastair Stout. Credit: Instagram @harrypotter
The long-awaited Harry Potter TV series from HBO has finally revealed its main cast, introducing three new actors who will step into the iconic roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Filming is expected to begin in summer 2025, with the first season airing in 2026.
New Harry Potter actors announced after 30k+ auditions
Following a worldwide casting call that drew in over 30,000 hopefuls, HBO confirmed that:
- Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter
- Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger
- Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley
All three are relative newcomers, much like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were when the original films launched more than two decades ago.
McLaughlin, a Scottish actor, recently filmed Sky’s family comedy Grow and will appear in the BBC series Gifted. Stanton, based in London, starred in Matilda: The Musical and Starlight Express (Metro). Stout was recently featured in an Albert Bartlett potato campaign.
Showrunner Francesca Gardiner and executive producer Mark Mylod praised the new trio, saying:
“The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen.”
(Cited by the BBC.)
A star-studded supporting cast for new Harry Potter TV series
Joining the trio are several high-profile actors in the roles of Hogwarts faculty and staff:
- John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
- Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall
- Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
- Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid
- Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell
- Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch
The series is set to span at least a decade, with each season adapting one book in greater detail than the original eight films. HBO says it will be a “faithful adaptation” of JK Rowling’s novels, and Rowling will serve as an executive producer.
Rowling vs Radcliffe and Watson: Behind-the-scenes tension
Despite Rowling’s involvement, the reboot has stirred debate due to her views on transgender rights. Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have publicly disagreed with the author in recent years, leading to a notable fallout.
Rowling posted on X that she would likely never forgive him, saying:
“Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces.”
Radcliffe responded to the press:
“It makes me really sad, ultimately. I do look at the person that I met… and the world that she created, and all of that is, to me, so deeply empathic.”
He also confirmed that he, Watson, and Grint won’t be returning in the new series:
“I think they very wisely want to [get] a clean break.”
What’s next for the wizarding world?
With production set to start at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden later this year, more casting announcements are expected soon. HBO hopes this new version of Harry Potter will capture the magic of the books in a way the films didn’t have time to.
Will this new generation of actors win over fans of the original cast or spark a whole new following of their own?
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