Molly Weasley, Draco Malfoy and More: New Cast Members for the Harry Potter Series!

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

The new faces of the Malfoy family are attracting particular attention: Lox Pratt will take on the role of young Draco Malfoy, while "Emma" actor Johnny Flynn is set to play his father, Lucius Malfoy. Harry's dreaded relatives, the Dursleys, have also been cast: Bel Powley will appear as Petunia Dursley, with Daniel Rigby playing Vernon Dursley.

A new face for the Weasley family has likewise been confirmed: Katherine Parkinson, known from "The IT Crowd", for example, will play Ron's mother Molly Weasley. Casting for the Hogwarts students is progressing as well. New additions include Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown. The role of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, will be played by Bertie Carvel.

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

Crew and Release 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", for example. J.K. Rowling, the author of the original novels, is also involved in the series as a producer.

Shooting is expected to begin in the summer of 2025 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK. An exact release date has not been announced yet. Originally, the series was planned for 2026, but 2027 now seems more likely.

Other Roles

Paapa Essiedu will take 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 will play 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 cast 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 will be 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 headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore will be 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.