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HBO’s highly anticipated Harry Potter television series has officially found its golden trio. After an exhaustive casting process involving over 32,000 auditions, Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton have been cast as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, respectively. These three newcomers are set to lead a major reboot of the wizarding saga, with the series projected to run for at least a decade.
Showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod announced the casting with enthusiasm, stating: “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.”
The trio may be new to many, but they come with strong early credentials. McLaughlin will also appear in the BBC’s upcoming action-adventure series Gifted, while Stanton played the title role in Matilda The Musical in London’s West End. Stout, though lesser-known, has impressed during the audition process and secured one of the most coveted roles in modern television.
The casting process itself was a massive undertaking, launched with an open call for children aged nine to eleven who were UK or Irish residents. The brief emphasized “inclusive, diverse casting” and encouraged agents to submit qualified talent “without regard to ethnicity, sex, disability, race, sexual orientation and gender identity.” Applicants were asked to send two videos: one featuring a performance of a story or poem, and another in which they introduced themselves and spoke about someone close to them.
Filming will begin this summer at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, with the first season expected to premiere in 2026 on the rebranded HBO Max platform. This new adaptation promises a “faithful” retelling of J.K. Rowling’s original books, with Rowling herself serving as executive producer alongside Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts, and David Heyman.
Additional cast members already confirmed include Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Casting for other young characters such as Draco Malfoy, Dean Thomas, and the Weasley siblings is expected to draw from the same large audition pool.
With a fresh cast, a long-term vision, and top-tier creative leadership, HBO’s Harry Potter reboot is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious TV projects of the decade.
