The Harry Potter series has been on everyone's lips for several months. It must be said that it's a major undertaking for HBO and Max, who hope to usher in a new era of supreme domination for the little wizard with glasses. Exit Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint; the Hogwarts trio will be led by a new generation of actors. While the identity of these new performers remains a mystery, several names have been circulating for the teaching staff. In a press release, Warner Bros. finally made part of its cast official. The new Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and Hagrid are now known.
John Lithgow, who had confirmed his participation in the project, has indeed been entrusted with the role of Hogwarts' headmaster. By recruiting the 79-year-old American, HBO is breaking the rule set by J.K. Rowling in the early 2000s. The author had required Warner Bros. to only cast British actors to portray her characters. This is also why Robin Williams was turned down for a role in the adaptation of the bestselling literary saga. He wanted to play Professor Lupin, an important figure in the third book.
Lithgow still has a certain reputation in the cultural industry, and one can imagine that the author was more flexible regarding the nationality of the cast. He recently appeared in Conclave, Edward Berger's captivating thriller and Oscar winner for Best Adapted Screenplay. For many series fans, he is also Barney Stinson's father in the cult sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Here, he will don a huge toga and a silver beard to accompany Harry Potter on his adventures.
Lithgow will face Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor. Like Lithgow, her participation was already known to the press, but nothing had been confirmed by the studio. The British actress has made several notable appearances on the small screen, in the Netflix series Jessica Jones and in Kaos. In Great Britain, she also played an iconic character in literary culture: Mrs. Dashwood in the BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.
Paapa Essiedu and Nick Frost in the cast
The same goes for Paapa Essiedu, who will play Severus Snape. Her recruitment was one of the first to be mentioned by the press, but the American network was not resolved to confirm or deny the rumors. The actor, who also starred in Gangs of London, made a strong impression in Michaela Coel's series I May Destroy You, earning him an Emmy nomination in 2020. For his part, Nick Frost will play the lovable Hagrid, Hogwarts' gamekeeper and a sympathetic ear for the three wizards. Simon Pegg's sidekick has a certain reputation in the comedy world, and he should bring his good nature to this character, beloved by readers and viewers. Like his colleagues, he has the heavy responsibility of bringing to life a new version of the hero formerly played by Robbie Coltrane. Two other names revealed The real surprise of this announcement lies in the smaller roles, including Professors Quirrel and Filch. The first will be played by Luke Thallon. He collaborated with Yorgos Lanthimos on The Favourite in 2018. He will have a crucial role in this first batch of episodes, which will adapt the events of the first novel. Finally, Paul Whitehouse has been given the role of Argus Filch. The cantankerous Hogwarts caretaker was formerly played by David Bradley.
This welcome announcement is the first step towards bringing the Harry Potter series to fruition. These announcements represent only a tiny fraction of the cast for this first season. HBO is seriously considering the issue and has repeatedly stated that the process takes time and that it is crucial for its teams to find worthy successors to those who accompanied several generations of viewers in the early 2000s. As a reminder, the series is scheduled to hit the small screen in 2026 or 2027. The filming start date was recently shared, and we can hope that these announcements are an indicator of the project's progress.
This summer, all teams will travel to Leavesden to begin filming. It was also in this immense studio, which now houses a museum, that the film saga was produced. As a reminder, Francesca Gardiner is the showrunner of this adaptation, which is expected to run for seven seasons. Mark Mylod will also serve as producer and screenwriter. He is also expected to step behind the camera.
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