HBO's Harry Potter TV series cast is starting to fill up as Deadline announces two more cast members, bringing the total to six. Four roles are starring roles with two recurring over the course of what's promised to be a decade-long show. Production is still set to start this summer, but HBO isn't releasing who they're casting to play Harry, Hermione, Ron, or Voldemort.
Even though those four important roles aren't filled, fans will be surprised by a former Harry Potter actor returning to the series. I may be against reviving a classic franchise, but this cast is shaping up. Like any dedicated Harry Potter fan, I'm looking forward to seeing how they tackle this massive project with millions of fans worldwide.
Although no cast will ever top the original Harry Potter films cast, HBO can surely try. So far, they seem very serious about making this revival one to remember for both old and new fans. With every new casting addition, we get closer to seeing how they measure up to their predecessors. But at the same time, I'm trying to remember they can be two different things, and we don't have to compare them. Realistically, fans will compare the show to what came before, just like fans compared the films to the books.
HBO's Harry Potter finds their Hogwarts staff members
Deadline reported more casting updates on April 14. The magazine announced on March 7 that the Hogwarts professor trio was completed with John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. Then, on March 25, Deadline confirmed that Nick Frost would be filling the role of Rubeus Hagrid.
While fans were still grappling with someone else playing our favorite Harry Potter adults, HBO tapped Luke Thallon as Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch. Along with the exciting updates, we were reminded that Whitehouse was Sir Cadogan in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, making his involvement in the series so much more special.
If production is still set for summer, I assume we'll know the rest of the cast by the end of September at the latest. Which would be fitting since Hogwarts returns every Sept. 1. Either way, hopefully they'll tell us the rest of the actors sooner rather than later. They're "working on some finesses on the last couple of scripts." Maybe they'll release more as the scripts become finalized.
Casting Harry, Hermione, Ron, or Voldemort
HBO and Channing Dungey are keeping their secrets while casting the golden trio and the main villain for the upcoming Harry Potter series. It makes me think that fans will have a cow or be blown away when the actors/actresses are finally announced. I'm hoping it is a reasonable reaction because we know how the announcement for Snape went in March. Not that it's a terrible actor, but fans have high expectations due to the books and films solidifying who these characters are in our minds. But these won't be the first changes to the characters, and with how popular the franchise is, it won't be the last. The Harry Potter franchise previously cast a whole new group of actors for the Broadway production of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, which has been running since 2016.
As Dungey mentions in her interview, Deadline is known for being up-to-date on everything Potter. When asked about the casting of Harry, Hermione, and Ron, she says, "We are not yet ready to announce the kids; we’re still working our way through that process." Her lips are sealed on both who is portraying our young wizards and who they'll face while at Hogwarts. While they're speaking, you can tell the interviewer wanted to know who Voldemort is, but Dungey isn't "quite ready," because it's an important role to get right." She's not wrong. Voldemort will be around for the entire show, either in physical form or as a voice in someone's head, so he needs to be conceiving.
The Harry Potter legacy will live on forever in some way shape or form. So, I'm not surprised a television show is the next adaptation. Hopefully, we'll get more updates before production starts this summer.