HBO’s Harry Potter series is one step closer to reality, as the three most important students at Hogwarts have been found. On Tuesday, HBO announced that it has cast Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. It’s the first major role any of the three young actors have landed.
Harry Potter showrunner Francesca Gardiner (Killing Eve) and director Mark Mylod (The Menu) shared the following statement about the casting announcement: “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. 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.”
Here’s the complete list of announced cast members for HBO’s Harry Potter series so far:
- Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
- Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
- Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
- John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
- Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall
- Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
- Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid
- Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrel
- Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch
HBO has said that the series will be “a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter books by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling.” The plan is for each TV season to adapt a single book in the series, giving the show a chance to explore details that the movies didn’t have time for. As a result, there are set to be seven seasons in total.
With many of the most significant roles now cast, filming is reportedly set to begin this summer. There’s no release date yet, but the first season is likely to debut within the first half of next year. We’ve become accustomed to waiting two to three years between seasons, but HBO is going to have to keep pace to ensure the kids don’t grow out of their roles.
