Harry Potter Cast Reunites for a Secret New Project—Here’s What They’re Up to in 2025

The curtain has finally lifted on one of the most-anticipated casting announcements in recent TV history: HBO’s forthcoming Harry Potter series has chosen its Golden Trio. After a global casting search that reportedly saw more than 30,000 hopefuls read for the lead roles, newcomer Dominic McLaughlin will don the famous lightning-bolt scar as Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton taking up the mantle of Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout stepping into Ron Weasley’s hand-me-down robes. A new generation at Hogwarts The series—planned as a faithful, multi-season adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s seven-book saga—aims to give each novel its own dedicated season. Showrunner Francesca Gardiner (Succession, His Dark Materials) has stressed that putting fresh faces at the center of the story was pivotal to creating “room for discovery” while honoring the legacy of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. All three original film leads have publicly endorsed the casting, with Radcliffe noting that he is “thrilled to pass the wand” to McLaughlin during an interview on the Broadway red carpet last week. Who are the new stars? • Dominic McLaughlin, 14, hails from Birmingham and has appeared in British stage productions of Matilda and The Lion King. • Arabella Stanton, 13, a London-born actress of Jamaican and Irish heritage, recently won an RTS Award for her role in the BBC drama Skies Above. • Alastair Stout, 14, is a Scottish actor and champion chess player who made his screen debut in the indie film Lochside. The trio has already completed “boot camp” at Leavesden Studios, mastering wand choreography, Quidditch footwork and on-screen dueling with stunt coordinator Eunice Huthart. Expanded adult ensemble While fans fixate on the children, HBO has quietly assembled a powerhouse roster of household names for Hogwarts’ faculty and beyond. Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) will portray Severus Snape, Janet McTeer steps in as Professor McGonagall, and Nick Frost has been tapped to play half-giant Rubeus Hagrid. Executive producer David Heyman resumes the role he originated with the films, ensuring continuity behind the camera. Production timeline and release window Principal photography is slated to begin in February 2026, with the first season—covering Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone—targeting a holiday-2027 premiere on Max. The streaming platform plans simultaneous weekly drops in more than 80 territories, accompanied by a behind-the-scenes companion podcast and interactive AR experiences for mobile devices. Fan reaction and cultural impact Within hours of the casting reveal, #HarryPotterCast surged to the top of X (formerly Twitter), garnering over 4 million mentions. Sentiment analysis from analytics firm Pulsar shows a 78 percent positive response, with enthusiasm highest among Gen Z users who grew up on Fantastic Beasts rather than the original films. Merchandising giant Funko has already teased prototype Pop! figures of the new trio set for a fall-2026 launch, underscoring the franchise’s evergreen retail power. Why this matters for the Wizarding World Warner Bros. Discovery is banking on the series to anchor its long-term franchise slate amid fierce competition from Disney’s Star Wars and Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings. By resetting the cast with Gen Alpha actors and stretching the narrative across multiple seasons, the studio hopes to recapture the appointment-television magic that made Game of Thrones a global juggernaut. Insiders confirm that early writers-room discussions include weaving in select backstory elements from Pottermore and the stage play The Cursed Child as foreshadowing for future spinoffs. What’s next An open casting call for supporting Hogwarts students—including Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood—goes live next month, with in-person auditions scheduled in London, Edinburgh, Dublin and New York. Meanwhile, costume designer Jacqueline Durran is updating house uniforms with ethically sourced wool and subtle nods to 1990s U.K. fashion, keeping the timeline authentic to Rowling’s original setting. With cameras soon to roll and a fresh cast ready to board the Hogwarts Express, the Wizarding World stands on the brink of its most ambitious screen adventure yet—proof that, even after nearly three decades, the boy who lived continues to cast an unbreakable spell on popular culture.