Credit: NetflixIt looks like things might be getting a little strange on the set of the new HBO Harry Potter series.
As we recently shared, Warner Bros. Discovery has been casting for the lead roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in its upcoming Harry Potter television series. The actors must be between the ages of 9 and 11 in April 2025.
Francesca Gardiner, a consulting producer on Succession, has been selected as the showrunner for the series. Mark Mylod, who also worked on Succession, will direct multiple episodes.
The series is based on J.K. Rowling’s seven Harry Potter books and will premiere on HBO. It is part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s strategy to focus on high-quality content for its streaming platform.
The casting announcement comes after months of speculation about the project. In April 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that a Harry Potter television series was in development. The series is expected to be a faithful adaptation of the books, exploring the magical world of Hogwarts and the adventures of Harry Potter and his friends.
The casting process will be rigorous, with producers searching for talented young actors who can bring the beloved characters to life. The series is expected to begin production in 2025, with a release date to be announced at a later time.
The Harry Potter television series is a highly anticipated project that is sure to excite fans of the franchise. With a talented creative team and a dedicated fanbase, the series has the potential to be a huge success.
Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, spoke about the project, stating, “This new Max Original series will explore each of the iconic books that fans have cherished for years,” while also assuring viewers that it will be “a faithful adaptation.”
Early reports suggested each season of the new Harry Potter series would focus on one of the seven books. However, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, mentioned the project would run for “10 consecutive years,” which contradicts the one season, one book format.
While some speculated Fantastic Beasts could fill the gap, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) clarified that the series will not include Fantastic Beasts.
Bloys emphasized that as the company embarks on this new Harry Potter venture, they’re committed to approaching it with “the full care and craft of this franchise.”
Notably, Succession duo Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod have signed on as showrunner and executive producer, respectively, with Mylod also set to direct multiple episodes. According to WBD CEO David Zaslav, the series is expected to air in 2026.
Zaslav expressed his excitement on a recent earnings call, where he discussed meetings with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and other key figures, stating that both parties are thrilled to reignite the franchise. Given WBD’s recent financial struggles, the success of this reboot is crucial.
As Zaslav pointed out, the performance of Warner Bros. over the past two decades has relied heavily on its big franchises like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and DC, and he believes Harry Potter presents a major opportunity that has been “underused.”
The Harry Potter franchise still has strong appeal, as demonstrated by the success of Hogwarts Legacy, 2023’s best-selling video game with 22 million units sold, and the popularity of the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. With the new series slated for Max, WBD is banking on the boy wizard to revitalize the company’s fortunes.
As for a return of the original film stars—Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint—there’s no indication they’ll reprise their roles.
Radcliffe has expressed that he is happy to watch the reboot as a fan, while director David Yates, who helmed the last four Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, has not been involved in discussions about the series and seems content to move on.
“My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere,” Radcliffe said.
“So I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.”
The Harry Potter series will air on Max and HBO for cable subscribers, with Canadian viewers able to stream it via Crave through a licensing agreement.
Harry Potter Casting Rumors
Now, it seems casting rumors have been announced.
We were first tipped off by the casting notice from the X post by cosmic, which highlighted a lot of possible casting choices, including Jamie Campbell Bower, most known for playing Vecna in Stranger Things, as Voldemort.
“👀👀👀 OUR JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER?????!!!!!!!!”
#jamietwt 👀👀👀 OUR JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER?????!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/tHFI9PUxpp
— cosmic (@hicosmic) September 30, 2024
The Direct reported, “A viral Facebook post offered a supposed update on HBO and Max’s upcoming Harry Potter reboot series, including a release window, new logo, episode count details, and castings for several major characters and actors.”
The alleged cast list featured in the post can be seen below:
- Toby Woolf – Harry Potter
- Joshua Pickering – Ron Weasley
- Bronte Carmichael – Hermione Granger
- Lesley Manville – Minerva McGonagall
- Peter Capaldi – Albus Dumbledore
- Jamie Campbell Bower – Voldemort
- Kristian Nairn – Rubeus Hagrid
- Angus Imrie – Professor Quirell
- Edward Bluemel – Professor Snape
- Lucy David – Aunt Petunia
As casting for the series leads has only just begun, a process that will likely involve thousands of applicants and take considerable time, the rumored castings circulating on Facebook are not accurate.
Additionally, the logo shown in the post is fan-made. The official HBO series is currently using the same logo from the original eight films, though that could change closer to the release to differentiate the new adaptations.
The future of Stranger Things
After seven years, Stranger Things is preparing to say its final goodbye. And on November 6—Netflix’s annual Stranger Things Day—there’s no better time to recap everything we know about the final season. For fans, November 6 is a significant date, marking the disappearance of Will Byers in Hawkins, Indiana in 1983, and setting the stage for the supernatural saga.
When Stranger Things debuted in July 2016, it became an unexpected cultural sensation. The series introduced a cast of young actors, most of whom were barely preteens, with Winona Ryder as the initial star draw.
Since then, the series has shattered multiple Netflix records, including Season 4, which broke the Nielsen record for the most-watched series at the time, racking up over 7 billion minutes of viewing in a single week. It was also the most-streamed series of the year.
Fans were saddened but not surprised when the Duffer brothers, the show’s creators, announced that the fifth season would be the last. The once-child actors had grown into their late teens and early twenties, and the story had reached its natural conclusion.
“Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things,” the Duffers wrote in an open letter in February 2022, noting that the narrative they had envisioned was always meant to last four to five seasons. “It proved too large to tell in four, but now we are hurtling toward our finale.”
Season 4, released in two parts, revealed that all the villains the Hawkins crew had battled were connected to one major adversary: Henry Creel (played by Jamie Campbell Bower), also known as “001” and “Vecna.”
The final season was initially set to begin production in summer 2023, but the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strikes delayed its start. When the WGA strike ended, the Duffer brothers quickly announced they were back to work.
By January 2024, Netflix confirmed the start of production on Season 5, with production past the halfway point by July. Initially, the season was expected to premiere in early 2025, but delays due to the actors’ strike may push the release to late 2025 or even 2026.
The final season is expected to see the return of most of the main cast, including Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Noah Schnapp (Will), and Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin).
One character whose fate is uncertain is Sadie Sink’s Max, who was left in a coma at the end of Season 4 after falling victim to Vecna’s curse. While Max remains alive, the extent of her involvement in the final season is yet to be revealed.
While Joseph Quinn’s beloved Eddie Munson died in Season 4, his character’s death may still play a significant role in the narrative, as the Duffer brothers hinted at “huge repercussions” for the remaining characters. Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays the series’ villain Vecna, will also return in a major way, with the villain still at large following the events of Season 4.
New faces will join the final season as well, including Terminator star Linda Hamilton, whose role remains under wraps. The Duffer brothers have emphasized their desire to focus on established characters while introducing new ones only when essential to the storyline. Despite this, Netflix announced the addition of three new actors: Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux.
As production continues, the cast has shared their excitement and bittersweet feelings about wrapping up the series. Finn Wolfhard described the experience as “a crossroads,” with the final season returning to dynamics from Season 1. Matarazzo echoed this sentiment, saying Season 5 is the “biggest, darkest, and scariest” yet.
The Duffer brothers know how the show will end, and they’ve already made executives emotional with their plans. While much of the plot is still under wraps, it’s clear that the final season of Stranger Things will aim to close out the series on a grand and powerful note, while giving the beloved characters their rightful conclusion.
What do you think of Jamie Campbell Bower as Voldemort?