HBO's Harry Potter TV show is on the horizon, and casting rumors about who will play Hogwarts' famous professors have recently surfaced, revealing the direction of the remake. Simultaneously, an open casting call continues for the Golden Trio: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. The Harry Potter movies are enshrined in the hearts of viewers of all ages, and it could be difficult for the TV show to live up to their legacy. Now that casting has begun, it is becoming clear how the series may differ from the movies.
Released between 2001 and 2011, the Warner Bros. Harry Potter movies featured Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as Ron, and Emma Watson as Hermione. These actors made the franchise what it was, alongside the movies' strong adult cast. Richard Harris famously played Albus Dumbledore in the first two movies before the role was taken over by Michael Gambon. The Harry Potter TV show may face an uphill battle standing out next to the iconic movies, but its rumored casting choices clarify its tactics somewhat.
The Harry Potter Remake's Casting Proves It's Committing To Another Mostly British Cast
The Harry Potter TV Show Looks Set To Be Just As British As The Movies
HBO's Harry Potter TV show appears to be recruiting mostly British actors for its cast. In November 2024, Variety reported that the Harry Potter remake is trying to get Mark Rylance on board as Albus Dumbledore. This has not yet been confirmed, and Deadline has since reported that the show is tapping Mark Strong for the role. Both British actors are movie and TV veterans and would nail the part. The excellent Harry Potter movies also chose mostly British actors for their cast. In that regard, it appears the TV show is trying to replicate the movies' success.
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The Harry Potter TV show is reportedly considering Sharon Horgan for the role of Minerva McGonagall, according to Deadline. Meanwhile, Brett Goldstein is allegedly being eyed to play Rubeus Hagrid. Further casting news from The Hollywood Reporter suggests that Paapa Essiedu, who is known for his part in I May Destroy You, may be given the role of Professor Severus Snape. Both potential Dumbledore stars, Goldstein, and Essiedu are British, and Horgan is Irish. With Hogwarts set in Britain and written by a British author, it makes sense to pursue a mostly British cast for this quintessentially English story.
The HBO Show Is Already Improving On The Diversity That's Lacking In The Movies
The Harry Potter TV Show Looks Set To Embrace Diversity
The Harry Potter show's potential Snape casting is good news for the franchise, which has received criticism for lacking diversity. J.K. Rowling's novels have been accused of lacking racial diversity, but it's mostly the movies that receive this complaint. After all, the movies could have cast anyone, within reason, as some of Rowling's characters aren't described as a specific race in the books. Beyond that, casting major characters more diversely could have helped the narrative grow, rather than contradicting and limiting it. The Warner Bros. movies had the opportunity to do this and didn't take it.
The Harry Potter TV show looks like it could bring more diversity to the franchise than ever before.
Instead, the films utilized an overwhelmingly white main cast. They also recast Lavender Brown, who was played by Kathleen Cauley and Jennifer Smith in the early films, with a white actor in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Harry and the Cursed Child strives to be more inclusive than the movies, as the play features a Black actor as Hermione. And if Essiedu is cast as Snape, it looks like HBO's Harry Potter remake will continue to embrace diversity, which is a step forward for the franchise.
Mark Rylance & Brett Goldstein Suggest The Harry Potter Show Wants Some Star Power
The Harry Potter Show Is Targeting Stars For Its Adult Cast
It seems like the Harry Potter show is targeting well-known stars, which makes sense, as it will need to launch with aplomb. The show must live up to the movies and also bring its own flavor to the table. Otherwise, viewers will question why it was made, as the movies are not too old and have aged reasonably well. If properly cast, big names will help draw viewers in and retain them, while allowing HBO to put a powerful and unique mark on the Harry Potter franchise. It makes sense for the show to cast big actors like Rylance and Goldstein.
Rylance proves the value big names could bring.
Rylance's casting rumor bodes well for Harry Potter as the actor is a British thespian with extremely relevant experience. Rylance proves the value big names could bring. A career like his could only mean good things for Harry Potter. Rylance plays extremely nuanced characters, often as terrifying as they are strangely kind, which is the ideal experience for Albus Dumbledore. His prior roles suggest he'd be great as the Hogwarts headmaster, though Strong's credits aren't anything to scoff at either.
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Goldstein is a more intriguing choice as Hagrid, but he has the extensive career history to suggest he can handle the role. He's probably best known for playing Roy Kent in Ted Lasso, but he has also starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who, and The Garfield Movie, in addition to doing stand-up comedy. Both Rylance and Goldstein have experience on stage and in huge roles, just like the movies' cast, promising good things.
Harry Potter's Remake Embracing A Younger Cast Is An Interesting Choice
The Most Surprising Thing About The Harry Potter Cast Is Its Age
HBO's Harry Potter remake looks set to embrace a fairly young cast for its adult roles, which is surprising. The Harry Potter movies were known for the wizened old witches and wizards that walked Hogwarts' halls. This contributed to the atmosphere, alluding to classic notions of wizards like Tolkien's Gandalf and old crones of folklore. It made the child cast feel more like children and the overall story feel more like a fairy tale. HBO's decision to use younger actors will set it apart from the movies and show a new side to Harry Potter's professors.
Alan Rickman was 54 when he started playing Severus Snape and 64 in his last movie in the role.
Snape was 31 in the books, so Essiedu's casting is more faithful to the source material than Alan Rickman's was, in terms of age. However, Goldstein is 20 years younger than Hagrid, and Horgan is over 10 years younger than Maggie Smith in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Young professors may appear less intimidating and more attractive to a younger audience. The show may be tapping into sex appeal with its adult cast, targeting a YA crowd. At least, it seems like the Harry Potter TV show could explore themes and character interactions that the movies didn't.
Source: Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter
Harry Potter is HBO's remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling's popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did. Upon the announcement of the Harry Potter TV show, the series received harsh criticism for the involvement of Rowling and for many thinking a reboot was unnecessary.
Main Genre Adventure
Seasons 1
Directors Mark Mylod
Showrunner Francisca Gardiner
English (US) ·