Photo credit: HBO 

After an extensive casting search, HBO has announced the three young actors who will take on the iconic lead roles in its forthcoming multi-season “Harry Potter” television series. Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin will portray Harry Potter, Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton has been cast as Hermione Granger.

The selection followed a wide-ranging open casting call for British children between the ages of 9 and 11. Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod, executive producers for the series, expressed their excitement in a 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. The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen.” They also extended gratitude to the tens of thousands of children who auditioned, acknowledging the wealth of young talent discovered. 

These child actors will bring to life the beloved characters first created by J.K. Rowling in her seven-book series, which was previously adapted into eight feature films released from 2001 to 2011, featuring a roster of prominent British actors. 

Last month, HBO confirmed that John Lithgow would play Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a role previously held by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon. The series is envisioned to run for over a decade, with at least one season dedicated to each book. Other confirmed cast members include Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, alongside Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch. 

Gardiner and Mylod previously commented on the expanded cast, stating, “We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.” 

Max, HBO’s streaming service (soon to be rebranded as HBO Max), stated upon the series’ announcement in April 2023 that it would be a “faithful adaptation” of Rowling’s books, promising to be “full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years.” The service emphasized that “Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.” 

J.K. Rowling, who retains significant ownership over the “Harry Potter” intellectual property, including the characters, will serve as an executive producer on the series. Her involvement has sparked controversy among some fans due to her public statements on transgender issues, which have led to a notable rift with the original film’s lead actors. In March, Rowling appeared to criticize Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint on social media, five years after they publicly disagreed with her essay that described arguments about “femaleness not residing in the sexed body … deeply misogynistic and regressive.” When questioned by journalist Matthew Belloni on The Town podcast in April about whether Rowling’s views on transgender people caused concern for the show, HBO’s Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys responded: “We already have a show on HBO from her called CB Strike that we do with the BBC. 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.” 

The expansive “Harry Potter” universe, encompassing books, films, video games, and theater productions, is estimated to be worth approximately £20 billion ($25 billion). 

Francesca Gardiner will also serve as showrunner for the new series, bringing her experience as a writer and consulting producer for HBO’s “Succession,” as well as a writer/producer on “His Dark Materials” and “Killing Eve.” Mark Mylod, a frequent director for “Succession,” will direct several episodes in collaboration with Brontë Film & TV and Warner Bros Television. 

The HBO series is anticipated to debut in 2026, marking nearly 30 years since the publication of the first book, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (also known as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) in 1997, and 15 years after the final film, “The Deathly Hallows Part 2,” was released.