After months of speculation, HBO has officially unveiled the young actors who will bring the trio of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley to life for its highly anticipated reboot of the beloved fantasy series.
“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,” said showrunner Francesca Gardiner and executive producer and director Mark Mylod in a joint statement.
“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 announcement arrives under a shadow of controversy, as previous cast member reveals were met with criticism from those who accused them of “siding with a bigot”—a reference to author JK Rowling.
HBO unveiled the trio of child actors who will interpret the trio of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley for its new series
Image credits: Warner Bros.
Dominic McLaughlin will take on the role of the Boy Who Lived, joined by Arabella Stanton as Hermione and Alastair Stout as Ron. All three were selected from an open casting call that drew more than 30,000 hopefuls from around the world.
While being largely newcomers, each actor arrives with relevant experience under their belt. McLaughlin recently appeared in Grow, an upcoming Sky comedy starring fellow Harry Potter cast member Nick Frost and Golda Rosheuvel.
Stanton was the lead in Matilda: The Musical, a production that ran from 2023 to 2024. Meanwhile, Stout will be making his major screen debut.
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The trio joins a cast that already includes prominent names, such as John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
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The ambitious project aims to span ten years and adapt each of JK Rowling’s seven novels. It’s being produced in collaboration with Brontë Film and Warner Bros. Television.
Gardiner will write and serve as showrunner, while Mylod is expected to direct multiple episodes. The show will also have the collaboration of people involved with the Harry Potter movies, such as Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts, and producer David Heyman as executive producers.
The announcement was received with both excitement and trepidation from fans that fear the trio might be harassed online
Image credits: Variety/Warner Bros.
The announcement was received with excitement, and enthusiasm from fans eager to imagine how the show will look with the new stars, but also with a prevailing sense of trepidation.
As Bored Panda previously reported, the previous cast reveal attracted fierce online backlash against most cast members, mainly due to what some perceived as they “aligning” or “justifying” JK Rowling’s stance towards transgenderism.
Image credits: Netflix/Warner Bros.
For instance, Nick Frost, who will portray Hagrid, found himself targeted by critics who flooded a post he had created in honor of the late Robbie Coltrane—Hagrid’s previous actor—with comments that ranged from respectful expressions of disagreement to outright personal attacks.
Image credits: The London Standard/Warner Bros.
“This is so sad,” one user commented. “Are you just going to keep turning off comments and deleting posts to avoid legitimate criticism from your fans?”
“You’ve lost the respect of millions,” another wrote. “This is the end of your career.”
Image credits: AMC Film Holdings/Warner Bros.
Frost eventually resorted to turning off comments for the post, but that only redirected the vitriol onto unrelated photos across his profile.
Other actors, such as John Lithgow, received similar comments, which made less irate fans fear for what would befall the trio of at-the-time unannounced child actors.
HBO stressed that the series aims to accurately adapt the books, and does not represent Rowling’s views beyond what she wrote in them
Image credits: Edwardx/Warner Bros.
As the main trio is now confirmed, attention will likely shift to how McLaughlin, Stanton, and Stout handle not just the immense pressure of stepping into globally cherished roles, but the potential backlash associated with Rowling’s continued involvement.
Image credits: The Old Vic/Warner Bros.
The reactions come as a response to Rowling’s long-standing opposition to gender ideology, a stance she has expressed publicly and consistently on social media since 2020.
The debate has reached new levels of intensity after the UK’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the terms “woman” and “sex” in their Equality Act refer specifically to biological women and biological s*x.
Image credits: Warner Bros.
Rowling went to social media soon after to celebrate the decision, uploading a photo of herself enjoying two glasses of champagne with the caption, “Think I might be having a cigar later,” which angered her detractors even more.
For HBO’s leadership, Rowling is entitled to her views, and their focus remains solely on adapting the books as faithfully as possible.
“Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter,” HBO’s Chief content officer Casey Bloys recently said in a podcast.
“They’re just kids.” Netizens urged others to treat the new actors with the respect they deserve
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