Muggles rejoice: we have found our new trio.
HBO’s new “Harry Potter” series has cast Dominic McLaughlin to play Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton in the role of Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
In the original movie franchise, the roles were played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, respectively.
“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 series’ director Mark Mylod and showrunner Francesca Gardiner shared in a statement on Tuesday.
“The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen,” the pair continued. “We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It’s been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.”
The three young stars are all newcomers in the industry, with McLaughlin’s previous acting credit being in the movie “Grow.”
Stanton, meanwhile, played Matilda in “Matilda The Musical” in London’s West End.
The show is set to premiere in 2026, with each season following one of J.K. Rowling’s seven “Harry Potter” books.
In February, news broke that John Lithgow was headed to Hogwarts, playing the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore.
Shortly after, the actor, 79, confirmed the news in an interview with ScreenRant.
“It came as a total surprise to me,” Lithgow admitted. “I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid.”
“I’m very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to ‘Harry Potter,’” continued the star. “That’s why it’s been such a hard decision. I’ll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I’ve said yes.”
After Pop Base posted the casting decision to X, one fan commented: “He is perfect for the role!”
A second social media user chimed in, “A brilliant actor in drama and comedy, I think he’ll make a great wizard! It would be amazing if the show goes 9 seasons!”
Rounding out the fan love, a viewer shared: “John Lithgow as Dumbledore? A magical casting choice for sure.”
Other critics, however, weren’t as thrilled with the news.
“Meh, I’ve already lost interest,” one social media user quipped in the comments section.
“Noo this won’t work,” a second said, while a third stated: “What? This is going to be the stupidest tv show ever. Will not make it one whole season.”
Dumbledore was originally played by Richard Harris in the first two “Harry Potter” movies. Michael Gambon then took over the role after Harris died in 2002.
HBO CEO Casey Bloys confirmed in November that Rowling, 59, will also be an executive producer on the new series.
“She’s been fairly involved — she was very involved in the process of selecting the writer and the director,” he told reporters at the time, despite the author’s history of anti-transgender rhetoric.
“I imagine she’ll have opinions on casting,” Bloys added. “It hasn’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff or anything, so we haven’t felt any impact from that.”
After the internet’s reaction to Rowling signing onto the project, Lithgow said he “absolutely” didn’t expect to get as much hate as he did from her critics.
“Of course, it was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play,” he said during an interview with the Times of London. “It’s an eight-year commitment so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”
Lithgrow added, “I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
