HBO has officially unveiled the first six cast members joining the upcoming Harry Potter TV series. All of them have been cast as the main staff members of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during Harry’s first year (as seen in The Philosopher’s Stone).
The cast now includes talents such as John Lithgow (The Crown, Conclave) as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu (Gangs of London, I May Destroy You) as Professor Severus Snape, Janet McTeer (The White Queen) as Professor Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) as Rubeus Hagrid. Earlier reports suggested that all four actors were in talks for the show.
The two new additions to the highly anticipated series are Luke Thallon (Patriots, Leopoldstadt) as Professor Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) as Hogwarts caretaker Argus 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,” said Francesca Gardiner, showrunner and one of the executive producers, alongside Mark Mylod, co-executive producer and director of multiple episodes.
However, the makers have yet to cast the main trio: Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger. That announcement is sure to set social media ablaze when it finally arrives. HBO launched an open casting call for the iconic roles last fall, receiving more than 30,000 submissions. Filming for the series is expected to begin this summer.
Gardiner not only wrote and oversaw the production of the series but also served as its showrunner. Mylod will be an executive producer and will direct several episodes for HBO, in collaboration with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television.
Author J.K. Rowling, along with Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts from Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman from Heyday Films, also serve as executive producers for the upcoming Harry Potter TV series on HBO. Stay tuned for more updates.