HBO's Harry Potter TV series has finally selected Harry, Hermione, and Ron, who will carry the decade-long show. Deadline broke the exciting news on May 27 with the casting of the Gryffindor's golden trio. The casting director went through 32,000 audition tapes from kids to find our new trio. They revealed that those tapes will hopefully fill the roles of the Weasley brothers, Draco Malfoy, Dean Thomas, and Cho Chang.
I'm not the biggest fan of HBO reviving the Harry Potter franchise to create a new in-depth TV series, but I'm not mad about this casting choice. Out of all the casting announcements thus far, this is my favorite. Without a great cast, HBO could experience low viewership, and it still might if enough people disagree. Luckily, they nailed the casting of the trio.
After carrying the Harry Potter franchise since 2001, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) are passing on the legacy to TV newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton.
Dominic McLaughlin will lead the series as The Boy Who Lived. Fans will see him discover he's a wizard and the truth about his parents' deaths. We'll watch him meet his best friends, Alastair Stout (Ron) and Arabella Stanton (Hermione). Although I was initially against this revival, the casting of the golden trio evokes strong emotions in me, seeing new actors take on such a massive and successful franchise. After 24 years, a new golden trio has been sorted and selected to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Maybe I'll tune in after all.
Harry Potter fans are eagerly waiting more casting updates
In March and April 2025, HBO found six key members of the Hogwarts Professor roles, and not all were received well, while others hit the mark. Paapa Essiedu (Professor Snape), John Lithgow (Head Master Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer (Professor Minerva McGonagall), Nick Frost (Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds, Care of Magical Creatures Professor, and Gamekeeper), Luke Thallon (Quirrell), and Paul Whitehouse (Argus Filch).
Although many roles have been filled, I'm still waiting on Lord Voldemort and Draco Malfoy to be cast. These two roles are major Harry Potter villains and need to be cast carefully to keep longtime fans interested. Ralph Fiennes portrayed the adult Lord Voldemort in five of the eight films and has shaped the character in fans' minds. Tom Felton played a fantastic Draco Malfoy, and he still upholds his love for the franchise. I hope HBO considers their dedication while casting these roles. Unfortunately, great to decent casting is shaping my opinion on this revival.
So far, the casting has been great in keeping me interested in seeing the first season. HBO's Harry Potter series is set to start filming this summer, with hopes of a 2026 release.
Stay tuned to Show Snob as we bring you updates about the Harry Potter series on HBO.