One of the biggest projects currently in production in Hollywood, the Harry Potter series is generating a lot of buzz. While we were introduced to some of the series' sets a few weeks ago, HBO has made several casting announcements. We now know 19 of the chosen actors and actresses, the opportunity for us to take stock!
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger
After a very long wait, HBO has finally revealed the casting of the main trio. It will therefore be the young Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout who will play Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley respectively. While some criticism was leveled at the choice of Arabella Stanton - due to her skin color, which is not specified in J.K. Rowling's novels - fans were rather convinced by the excerpt from her audition. In any case, the task of replacing Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint in the minds of fans will certainly not be easy, but we can still expect some nice surprises!
Albus Dumbledore
Three actors have already played the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Richard Harris (in the first two Harry Potter films), Michael Gambon (in the next six films), and Jude Law in the second and third installments of the Fantastic Beasts saga. While many fans hoped that the role would be given to Jared Harris - son of Richard -, who refused, it is finally the American John Lithgow who will take on the role of the most powerful wizard of all time. While the actor has already proven himself, notably in the series Dexter and The Crown, it is regrettable that HBO is going against the tradition of the Harry Potter saga of hiring British actors.
Minerva McGonagall
While the entire cast of the Harry Potter series has the delicate task of following the cast of the films, some actors and actresses will have greater pressure. This is particularly the case of Janet McTeer, chosen to play Minerva McGonagall. The Head of Gryffindor House and Vice-Headmistress of Hogwarts is a fan-favorite, and she owes part of her popularity to the impeccable performance of the legendary and much-missed Maggie Smith.
Severus Snape
The choice of English actor Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House and one of the most iconic characters in the saga, has caused considerable controversy among fans. While viewers of Gareth Evans' excellent series Gangs of London can attest to the immense talent of the Ghanaian actor, this casting choice nevertheless contrasts with the physical description given to Severus Snape in J.K. Rowling. Indeed, the character played by the great Alan Rickman in the film series is known for having a hooked nose and greasy hair. Moreover, some fans have pointed out that by choosing Paapa Essiedu, HBO could give a racial dimension to the animosity between Severus Snape and James Potter.
Rubeus Hagrid
Harry Potter's first contact with the wizarding world, Rubeus Hagrid is the Keeper of Secrets and Keys to Hogwarts. He will become one of the main trio's closest friends and their Care of Magical Creatures teacher around their third year. British actor Nick Frost, best known for his collaborations with Simon Pegg, notably in Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, will play the character. He also paid tribute to the late Robbie Coltrane.
Quirinus Quirrell
Quirinus Quirrell is the first Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Harry and his friends' school. Seemingly harmless with his stutter and his bursts of terror, Quirinus Quirrell is actually hiding a dark secret, as he shelters Lord Voldemort under his turban. Actor Luke Thallon will play the first antagonist to appear in the series!
Argus Filch
A caretaker at Hogwarts School, Argus Filch is a Squib, that is, a child of wizards without magical powers. This frustration stems from a hatred for the students in his care, to whom he distributes punishments. He also wages battle against the poltergeist Peeves, who is absent from the films. Paul Whitehouse has been chosen to bring this character to life!
Lucius Malfoy
Although he only appears in the novels starting with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Lucius Malfoy has already been cast by HBO. Johnny Flynn will therefore lend his face to Dragon Malfoy's father. Aged 42, he will play one of the main antagonists of the show, since Lucius is one of the main Death Eaters. The fact that he was chosen so early leads us to consider the possibility that he will make a first appearance in the first season. We imagine that Lucius Malfoy could come to support the Slytherin Quidditch team, or come to complain about the fact that Draco Malfoy was sent to the Forbidden Forest following a punishment from Minerva McGonagall.
Molly Weasley
A young orphan, Harry spent his entire childhood with the Dursleys, his maternal family who hated and mistreated him. However, he will find a new family with the Weasleys, and Molly Weasley will treat him like her own son. The British actress of Northern Irish origin Katherine Parkinson was chosen to play the role of this mother who is both strict and full of love. The choice of a Northern Irish actress corresponds to J.K. Rowling's intentions, as the Weasley family seems to be the sum of stereotypes regarding the Irish (red hair, large family and modest).
Vernon and Petunia Dursley
Since the death of his parents, Harry Potter has lived with his maternal family, the Dursleys. These narrow-minded Muggles hate him for what he represents and have always mistreated him. In the novels, Vernon and Petunia Dursley make an absolutely hilarious comic couple, as evidenced by these scenes that we mentioned recently in our columns and which symbolize J.K. Rowling's humor. The English Daniel Rigby and Bel Powley will play the couple on screen in the HBO series. While Daniel Rigby will have to gain weight to play Vernon, note that the ages of the two actors correspond more closely to the ages of the characters in the novels.
Cornelius Fudge
Appearing for the first time in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Cornelius Fudge is the British Prime Minister of Magic. Beneath his good-natured exterior, which he displays in the first volumes of the saga, lies a man terrified at the idea of losing power. When Lord Voldemort returns in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, he will deny the truth and lead a crusade against Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In the HBO series, he will be played by Bertie Carvel. As with Lucius Malfoy, we can assume that he will make his first appearance in season 1.
Draco Malfoy
Young actor Lox Pratt has been chosen to play Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter's arch-rival in the Harry Potter series. Born into a wealthy wizarding family, Draco Malfoy upholds the nauseating ideology of Salazar Slytherin, inherited from his parents. If Tom Felton had offered an iconic Draco Malfoy - the actor, who recently defended J.K. Rowling, still enjoys great popularity among Harry Potter fans -, Lox Pratt seems to perfectly embody this sense of aristocratic confidence specific to the character.
Seamus Finnegan
Seamus Finnegan is a student in the same year as Harry, Ron, and Hermione and is joining Gryffindor House. He is also one of Harry and Ron's roommates, along with his best friend Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom. The young actor Leo Early will take on his role!
Lavender Brown
A Gryffindor student in the same year as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Lavender Brown and her best friend Parvati Patil greatly admire the Divination teacher, Sybil Trelawney. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, she becomes Ron Weasley's first girlfriend. While she is one of the many casualties at the end of the Battle of Hogwarts in the eighth film of the series, her fate is more ambiguous in the novels. Rowling writes that she is seriously injured, but it is unknown whether her injuries were fatal. On screen, she will be played by Sienna Moosah.
Parvati Patil
Passionate about divination, like her best friend Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil is a member of Gryffindor House - while her twin sister has joined Ravenclaw House. In the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, she defends Neville Longbottom when he is bullied by the Slytherin students during the first flying lesson. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, she becomes Harry's date at the Yule Ball during the Triwizard Tournament. She will be played by Alessia Leoni.
And you, what do you think of all these casting announcements? Don't hesitate to tell us in the comments section!
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