Things are starting to heat up over at Hogwarts as HBO has officially revealed the first wave of casting for its Harry Potter series, and they’ve brought in strong cast to fill those iconic magical staff positions.
Leading the charge, we have John Lithgow (The Crown, Dexter) will step into the wise, twinkly-eyed shoes of Albus Dumbledore. Joining him is Janet McTeer (Ozark, The White Queen) as the no-nonsense but deeply respected Minerva McGonagall.
In a move that’s already stirring conversation, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You, The Lazarus Project) has been cast as the complicated and brooding Severus Snape. Then, in what might be the most inspired bit of casting yet, Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) is tackling the lovable half-giant Hagrid.
Also joining the magical faculty are Luke Thallon, who’ll take on the role of the jittery Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse, cast as the grumbling caretaker Argus Filch.
Francesca Gardiner, the show’s showrunner and executive producer, shared the announcement alongside director and fellow executive producer Mark Mylod. In their statement, they said:
“We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell and Filch. We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.”
This is the first official casting confirmation for the series. As for the trio at the heart of the story, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, HBO put out an open casting call last fall that reportedly received over 30,000 submissions.
HBO is calling the new Harry Potter show a “faithful adaptation” of J.K. Rowling’s book series, with each season diving deep into one of the novels. Their goal is to create something that captures the magic for longtime fans while opening the door for a whole new generation.
The series is being developed by Gardiner and Mylod, alongside Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, with David Heyman (Harry Potter films) back via Heyday Films. Filming is expected to kick off this summer.
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