Molly Weasley, Draco Malfoy and co: new cast members for the Harry Potter series!

Anticipation for the upcoming HBO series "Harry Potter" continues to grow: according to industry magazine Deadline, a total of nine new actors and actresses have joined the cast of the reboot.

The new faces of the Malfoy family are receiving particular attention: Lox Pratt is taking on the role of young Draco Malfoy, while "Emma" actor Johnny Flynn will play his father Lucius Malfoy. Harry's unloved relatives, the Dursleys, have also been recast: Bel Powley will be seen as Petunia Dursley and Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley.

Another familiar face from the world of the Weasleys has also been confirmed: Katherine Parkinson, known from "The IT Crowd" among others, will portray Ron's mother Molly Weasley. The student body at Hogwarts is also taking shape. New additions include Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown. The role of Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge is played by Bertie Carvel.

The main roles were also officially announced a few weeks ago: Dominic McLaughlin will take on the role of Harry Potter, while Alastair Stout will be seen as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. The three young talents beat off competition from over 32,000 applicants – the result of a selection process lasting several months that began in September 2024.

Crew and start date

The creative direction of the series will be taken over by Francesca Gardiner as showrunner. She is no stranger to the fantasy genre and was previously involved in the BBC/HBO series "His Dark Materials". She will be supported by director Mark Mylod, who has directed episodes of "Game of Thrones" and "Succession", among others. J.K. Rowling, the author of the original novels, is also involved in the series as a producer.

Filming is scheduled to begin in summer 2025 at the Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden, UK. Although an exact broadcast date has not yet been set, it is currently expected to be released on HBO in 2026. The plan is for each season to adapt a book from the seven-book series – with the aim of giving the story more depth and scope than the feature films were able to do.

Other roles

Paapa Essiedu takes on the role of the shady Severus Snape, the potions teacher and Slytherin tutor with a dark past. Janet McTeer will appear as Professor McGonagall – the strict but fair Gryffindor tutor.

Luke Thallon takes on the role of Professor Quirrell, the nervous Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who appears as the antagonist in the first volume, "The Philosopher's Stone". Nick Frost has been recruited to play the character of the amiable half-giant Hagrid. The British actor is primarily known from comedies such as "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz". The role of the grumpy janitor Argus Filch is played by Paul Whitehouse, also a comedy actor. Filch, who has no magical abilities, is notorious for his harsh attitude towards the pupils. In the films, he was played by David Bradley.

The iconic principal Professor Albus Dumbledore is played by John Lithgow, known from series such as "Dexter" and "The Crown". His involvement was confirmed early on in interviews, making him the first publicly known cast member.