Left to right: John Lithgow, Paapa Essidoo, Nick Frost | Credits: Jessica Howes, Ruth Crowfer, Lee Malone
There is the first major casting wave in HBO’s Harry Potter series, and the magical world of little screens is beginning to take shape. Although some of these names have been circulated in recent reports, HBO is now officially confirming the lineup. This is a mix of stage legends, screen veterans and rising stars who step into some of the most famous roles in fantasy fiction.
cast
John Lithgow will take on the role of Albus Dumbledore, with Professor McGonagall being Janet Macter, Paypa Eciedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Hagrid. All four have been confirmed as regulars in the series. The current cast will be capturing Luke Taron, who plays Professor Kirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as caretaker Argus Filch.
Showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mirodo said in a joint statement:
Left to right: Luke Talon, Janet McTor, Paul Whitehouse | Credits: Phil Sharp, JanetMCteer_Andrew Cowley, Mike Marsland
Reintroduced to Hogwarts
The new series, billed as a “faithful adaptation” to J.K. Rowling’s novel, is expected to be dedicated to one book per season. Although details are still wrapped, HBO previously suggested that the series would be unfolding for over a decade, allowing more room to explore the details and depth of the source material. The Fantastic Beasts spinoff is not part of this series, but references may appear to have been made in the original film.
The casting of the Central Trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) is still underway for the Central Trio, which currently focuses on children aged 9 to 11 years olds. Filming is scheduled to begin this summer at Lebden Studios, just outside London, where eight original films have been filmed and the official Harry Potter Studio Tour resides.
Francesca Gardiner (his dark material) leads the project as a writer and showrunner, with Mark Mylod (Succession, Menu, Game of Thrones) directing multiple episodes. JK Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts will be executive produced through Brontë films and television, along with David Heyman of Heyday Films, who produced the original film. The series is a collaboration between HBO, Warner Bros. TV, and Bronte Film and TV, and is streamed at the largest in all available markets.
The core trio has not yet been revealed, but this first official casting drop offers a more clear glimpse into what HBO’s long-term view of Harry Potter looks like.
Here’s the promotion that HBO released when the announcement was made two years ago:
