The new television adaptation of the Harry Potter universe has found its leads to bring the characters of Hermione, Ron, and Harry to life . HBO has announced the names of the young actors who will portray the most iconic trio in fantasy literature: Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton will portray Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley.
Who are the new Harry, Hermione and Ron?
The selection of these actors followed an open casting process that drew over 30.000 applicants— one of the largest audition processes in recent years —mostly children between the ages of 9 and 11, regardless of background, gender, or other circumstances. The search was led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, and spearheaded by showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod, who praised the acting abilities and charisma of those chosen.
Dominic McLaughlin, our new lead wizard who will undoubtedly carry the weight of this new project, is a native of Scotland and already has experience thanks to the comedy Grow, in addition to his upcoming role in a BBC series. Arabella Stanton ( Hermione ), for her part, has made a name for herself on the London West End stage, starring in Matilda: The Musical during 2023 and 2024. For Alastair Stout, who will play Ron, this will be his first major project in the audiovisual industry, representing a unique opportunity at the start of his career.
Adult cast and iconic characters
The production has also confirmed in recent months the presence of renowned actors for the adult roles . John Lithgow—pictured below—will take on the role of Albus Dumbledore , while Janet McTeer will play Professor Minerva McGonagall . Paapa Essiedu joins the cast as the enigmatic Severus Snape , and Nick Frost will bring the endearing Hagrid to life. Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse complete the confirmed cast as Quirinus Quirrell and Argus Filch , respectively.
This cast of veterans and young talents aims to offer a renewed vision more faithful to the original material , with the promise of exploring both classic and secondary characters in greater depth, given that each season will be centered on a book from the saga.
Filming and planned releases
Filming for the series is expected to begin in the summer of 2025 at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England , the same location as the original films. HBO and the Max platform have opted for a structure, as we mentioned, that will adapt each of the seven books into a season , and the series will run for at least a decade.
The first season is scheduled to premiere in 2026, although a definitive date has not yet been set. It is expected to be released annually, following the trend of other major television productions, and with a high investment per season.
A new stage in the adaptation of Harry Potter
Francesca Gardiner will write the scripts and serve as showrunner. Mark Mylod, with experience on major series, will direct several episodes and serve as executive producer. J.K. Rowling , the author of the saga, will also be involved as an executive producer, although according to HBO, her participation will be primarily creative and focused on overall project oversight.
The confirmation of the new actors who will bring Harry, Hermione, and Ron to life undoubtedly marks the beginning of a new era for both fans who grew up with the films and those who will discover the magic of Hogwarts for the first time on television. While we await further announcements about the rest of the cast and other details about filming, we can't wait to settle in and watch the return of Harry Potter on streaming.