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HBO has announced the young actors who will portray Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley in its upcoming television adaptation of JK Rowling’s beloved book series. Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry, Arabella Stanton will take on the role of Hermione, and Alastair Stout has been cast as Ron. The trio was selected after an open casting call for British children ages 9 to 11, which saw more than 30,000 auditions.
“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,” said showrunner Francesca Gardiner and executive producer and director Mark Mylod in a statement. “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.”
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The three newcomers join a distinguished cast, including Oscar nominee John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Golden Globe winner Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. Nick Frost will play the affable groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon will portray Defence Against the Dark Arts professor Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse will take on the role of caretaker Argus Filch. Further casting announcements are expected soon.
The series, set to be a “faithful adaptation” of Rowling’s seven-book series, will span at least a decade, with each season based on one book. Rowling, who maintains ownership over key aspects of Harry Potter intellectual property, will serve as an executive producer. Her involvement has sparked controversy among some fans due to her public anti-trans statements, which have created a rift with the original film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.
HBO’s chief content officer, Casey Bloys, addressed concerns about Rowling’s views on The Town podcast in April, stating, “We already have a show on HBO from her called CB Strike that we do with the BBC. It’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She’s entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.”
Filming is expected to begin this summer at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK, with the series potentially debuting in 2026 on HBO Max, the streaming service soon to be renamed. The adaptation aims to bring the detailed world, much-loved characters, and dramatic locations of Rowling’s books to new audiences while the original films, released between 2001 and 2011, remain available globally.