The Sorting Hat has done its job: HBO Max has finalized the young cast for the new Harry Potter series , completing the list of students who will populate the classrooms and corridors of Hogwarts. With this batch of names, the platform has practically defined the core group of characters who will be part of the first season, which focuses on the events of The Philosopher's Stone.
The announcement, made at an international company event, focused on the group of new actors who will portray the students of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw . These new additions join the main cast already revealed a few months ago , solidifying a group that blends very young faces with veteran actors from both Europe and the English-speaking world.
The announcement, made at an international company event, focused on the group of new actors who will portray the students of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw . These new additions join the main cast already revealed a few months ago, solidifying a group that blends very young faces with veteran actors from both Europe and the English-speaking world.
The new faces of Hogwarts: 21 students for the four houses
With this latest wave of confirmations, the studio has added 21 actors who will bring the Hogwarts students to life , divided among the four houses of the school of magic. The goal is for the young cast to reflect the breadth of characters that appear in the books, something the films, due to time constraints, could only hint at.
In Gryffindor , Harry, Ron, and Hermione won't be alone. They'll share the common room and classes with several key classmates who play a vital role in the school's sporting and social life. Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Oliver Wood, Alicia Spinnet, and Lee Jordan will become familiar faces on the Quidditch pitch and in the stands, enriching the daily life of the house most associated with courage and loyalty.
The house founded by Rowena Ravenclaw , traditionally associated with intelligence and creativity, has also completed its student lineup. Ravenclaw will feature Aaron Zhao as Terry Boot, Eve Walls as Lisa Turpin, Scarlett Archer as Penelope Clearwater, and Anjula Murali as Padma Patil, characters who will help give this house a stronger presence on screen.
Meanwhile, Hufflepuff adds several supporting characters beloved by readers . India Moon will play Hannah Abbott, Jazmyn Lewin will be Susan Bones, Cian Eagle-Service will portray Ernie Macmillan, and James Trevelyan Buckle will bring Justin Finch-Fletchley to life. The series thus aims to better reflect the importance of this house, often underrepresented in previous adaptations.
Slytherin will have the most new students , underscoring its central role as a counterpoint to Gryffindor in the story. The student cast includes Eddison Burch (Miles Bletchley), James Dowell (Lucian Bole), Oliver Croft (Marcus Flint), Dylan Heath (Adrian Pucey), Henry Medhurst (Peregrine Derrick), Cornelius Brandreth (Terence Higgs), Laila Barwick (Pansy Parkinson), and D'Angelou Osei-Kissiedu (Graham Montague). Between Quidditch players and rather fearsome figures in the halls, the house of ambition is well represented.
The main trio and the students who were already confirmed
These 21 names join the core cast of the series, led by Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter , Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. This trio will be central to the narrative, but the production team intends for the school community to feel more vibrant and collaborative than in previous versions.
Among the confirmed students, the series will feature a wide circle of friends surrounding Harry . These include Lox Pratt, who will play Draco Malfoy, and Rory Wilmot, who will portray Neville Longbottom, two key characters in the protagonist's school journey. Also returning are the castle's most troublesome twins: Tristan Harland and Gabriel Harland will play Fred and George Weasley, while Ruari Spooner will portray Percy Weasley.
The Weasley family is rounded out in the younger generation with Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley , whose role will grow as the series progresses. Also confirmed are Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe, and William Nash as Gregory Goyle, thus strengthening both the Gryffindor and Slytherin houses.
The production has also decided to give ample space to characters outside the wizarding world, something that will be especially noticeable in Harry's first year. Amos Kitson will play Dudley Dursley , the protagonist's cousin, a key figure in understanding the contrast between life on Privet Drive and his arrival at Hogwarts.
A top-notch teaching staff for the TV Hogwarts
Beyond the students, the HBO Max series has taken special care in selecting the faculty, aware that many of Hogwarts' professors are almost as iconic as the main trio. The adult cast aims to combine acting prestige with the ability to maintain the fantastical tone for several seasons.
The role of Severus Snape will be played by Paapa Essiedu , whose performance will be one of the most closely watched aspects by fans, given the character's enormous emotional weight in the saga. Luke Thallon will play Quirinus Quirrell in the first season, while Louise Brealey will play Madame Rolanda Hooch, head of the flying classes.
The teaching staff is rounded out by, among others, Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout, Richard Durden as the ghostly Professor Cuthbert Binns, Brid Brennan as Madame Poppy Pomfrey, and Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick. These names were chosen to give substance to the subjects and the daily life of the school , something the series aims to explore more thoroughly than the films.
Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without its most peculiar characters. Nick Frost will play Rubeus Hagrid , the Keeper of Keys and Grounds, while Paul Whitehouse will portray Argus Filch, the castle caretaker. Both characters will bring a very recognizable tone to the school corridors, a blend of humor, tenderness, and a touch of menace.
Magical and Muggle Families: The Rest of the Adult Cast
In addition to the teachers, the production has been adding to the cast the adults who surround Harry both inside and outside the wizarding world. The goal is to build a complete ecosystem around the protagonist, making clear from the outset the clash between Muggle life and life at Hogwarts.
In the wizarding world, Katherine Parkinson will play Molly Weasley , the matriarch of the family who takes Harry in almost as a son. Johnny Flynn will portray Lucius Malfoy, a key figure in the political intrigues of the wizarding world, while Anton Lesser will play Garrick Ollivander, the wandmaker whose shop will be one of the young wizard's first encounters with Diagon Alley.
On the non-magical side, Bel Powley will play Petunia Dursley and Daniel Rigby will play Vernon Dursley, Harry's aunt and uncle. Their scenes will help underscore the oppressive nature of the protagonist's life before he receives his Hogwarts letter and discovers that, far from being a nuisance, he is a wizard destined for something much greater.
Completing the list are Leigh Gill as Griphook, the Gringotts goblin, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, a character who will become especially relevant in later seasons, when the story delves into the political conflicts of the Ministry of Magic.
For now, the only major question mark in the cast remains Lord Voldemort . The production has not yet confirmed who will play the saga's main antagonist, although several big names are being speculated within the industry, including some well-known British actors. The showrunners seem willing to take their time with this choice.
A series designed to be more faithful and extensive than the films
The size of the cast is no accident: the Harry Potter universe is vast, with dozens of recurring characters , and the series format allows for more deliberate development. HBO Max aims to take advantage of longer episodes and multiple seasons to adapt each book with fewer compromises than on the big screen.
Francesca Gardiner will be in charge of the script and executive production, while Mark Mylod will direct several key episodes in addition to also serving as executive producer. Filming is taking place at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, UK, a location already closely linked to the Wizarding World from the film era.
J.K. Rowling serves as executive producer alongside Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts through Brontë Film and TV, in collaboration with David Heyman, producer of the original films, through Heyday Films. Warner Bros. Television is handling production in partnership with HBO Max, solidifying a long-term alliance.
The platform plans to premiere the series sometime in 2027, intending to make it one of its major global releases. Europe, and in particular countries with a strong Potterhead tradition, such as Spain, the UK, France, Germany, and Italy, are among the priority markets for this launch.
The anticipation among fans continues to grow , largely because the project promises to explore subplots barely touched upon in the films, such as life in the different houses, relationships between upperclassmen, and the background of several magical and Muggle families.
With the student cast practically finalized, a top-notch faculty, and a creative team experienced in major, prestigious productions, the new Harry Potter series for HBO Max presents itself as a long-term commitment to revisiting the saga with more time and detail. Now, all that remains is to see how these young actors bring the Hogwarts students to life and whether the result lives up to the expectations of an entire generation that has grown up with these characters.
