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Harry Potter: the cast of the series inspired by the saga is taking shape
Since the announcement made in 2021, the series adaptation of the Harry Potter saga is finally taking shape. After a lot of speculation, the cast of the show and a first photo of actor Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter have been released. Numéro takes a closer look at the rebirth of Hogwarts on the small screen.
By Jordan Bako.
Published on 14 July 2025. Updated on 15 July 2025.
A series adaptation of Harry Potter, 24 years after the first film
An emblematic saga of the 2000s, the Harry Potter books are about to switch from the big screen to the small screen. After a film adaptation that has now become cult, J.K Rowling’s bestsellers are being reread again, this time in the form of a series.
As soon as it was released in theaters, the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone became a true emblem of pop culture. The highest-grossing film of 2001, it stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint – as Harry, Hermione and Ron – when they were only 12, 10 and 13 years old respectively. This was followed by seven other feature films, retracing the plot of J.K. Rowling’s literary saga.
Even 24 years after the first film, the snowy landscapes of Hogwarts have not lost their charm. The Harry Potter universe has already been the subject of several adaptations: a spin-off first literary and then adapted to the cinema with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016-2022), a video game with Hogwarts Legacy or a sequel to Harry Potter by J.K Rowling in the form of a play…
In production, a team of choice
It is hard to say how the universe of the saga can still reinvent itself after all its previous adaptations on screen… Indeed, this new series should include seven seasons, each dedicated to one book from the Harry Potter saga. Produced by Warner Bros. and HBO, this program should be more faithful to the original books than the movies. The project would take place over “ten consecutive years” according to a statement by Casey Bloys, CEO of HBO, in the columns of the American media Deadline. And HBO has confirmed that the production of the series has just started…
To carry out this large-scale project, Warner Bros is thinking big. Francesca Gardiner, who previously worked in the series Succession, will serve as showrunner of this series. For his part, Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones, The Menu, Succession) will direct some episodes of the series. Finally, Laura Neal, the writer behind some episodes of Killing Eve and Sex Education , has joined the team of writers of the program…
32,000 candidates for the new Harry, Hermione and Ron
As for the casting, a new series means new actors… The iconic trio formed by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint will not appear in the credits of this new adaptation. However, a wild casting has already started in London to find the new Harry, Hermione and Ron. More than 32,000 children, between the ages of 9 and 11, have applied to embody the characters…
Besides, the rest of the cast for this remake is finally taking shape. Last February, the first name was officially confirmed. British actor John Lithgow, who starred in 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Crown, and more recently in Conclave, will take on the role of Professor Dumbledore, Harry Potter’s colourful mentor.
Paapa Essiedu and Dominic McLaughlin among the final cast members
Earlier in June 2025, more names were added to the cast. Young actor Dominic McLaughlin will step into the lead character of Harry Potter, thus replacing Daniel Radcliffe. Rising star Alastair Stout has been chosen to embody Ron Weasley. And the show’s creators have selected actress and singer Arabella Stanton to portray Hermione Granger. Promising young actor Lox Pratt will play Draco Malfoy, while his father will be portrayed by Johnny Flynn, taking over from Jason Isaacs.
Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) will also join the cast of this remake as the infamously complex Professor Snape. A rumour that is finally confirmed after months of controversy. Indeed, some online critics objected to the fact that the role previously played by Alan Rickman was being given to a Black actor.
Other cast members include actress Janet McTeer (Ozark), who will play Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, a role made famous by the late Maggie Smith, who passed away in 2024. Finally, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon, and Paul Whitehouse round out the list of actors set to appear in this reboot.
The other actors considered as cast members of the new series are Brett Goldstein as Hagrid and Cillian Murphy as the dreadful Lord Voldemort…
An adaptation of a transphobic controversy
The casting ideas only bode well for this reboot. But this new adaptation is already the subject of controversy, despite the fact that the shooting is about to start this summer. Indeed, J.K Rowling will also participate in the piloting of the program, as executive producer of the project. During a press conference attended by the American media Variety , Casey Bloys confirmed that the writer was “very, very involved in the process of selecting the director and the screenwriter“.
His presence in the credits has sparked debate. Since 2017, J.K. Rowling‘s transphobic stances have spread across social media. In a series of posts online, the author has adopted a “TERF” rhetoric, which stands for “Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist.” She has repeatedly invalidated the gender identity of trans women, whom she considers to be “men in dresses,” as she wrote in a tweet in March 2018. The controversy deepened last May, when the writer announced the creation of a private investment fund aimed at supporting initiatives that exclude transgender people. With $1 billion in funding provided by J.K. Rowling herself, this organization further confirms the author’s transphobic agenda.
These measures earned her the wrath of the web. Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson immediately dissociated themselves from J.K. Rowling‘s statements and reiterated their support for transgender people. In addition to that, the release of the video game Hogwarts Legacy in 2023 had led to a strong boycott led by users. Indeed, the author received royalties on this adaptation of Harry Potter. The upcoming series could well be affected by this controversy too.
The Harry Potter series is scheduled for release in 2026 on the streaming platform Max.
