The TV reboot of the Harry Potter franchise is moving forward with HBO announcing the first batch of stars for upcoming series.
Joining John Lithgow as the previously announced Albus Dumbledore is Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds, The Menu, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning) as Professor Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You, Gangs of London) as Professor Severus Snape, and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) as groundskeeper Hagrid.
Two guest stars were announced: Luke Thallon, who will play Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Mr. Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker.
“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,” said Francesca Gardiner, showrunner and executive producer, and Mark Mylod, director of multiple episodes and executive producer.
“We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.”
There have been no casting announcements for the central roles of Harry, Hermione and Ron. As for the all-important role of Voldemort, there have been rumours that Cillian Murphy is the favourite to nab the role.
The new casting announcement will probably be controversial, as the early rumours that Essiedu was being considered to play Snape were not welcome by certain corners of the internet. Others looked down on the fact that an American actor had been cast to play Dumbledore. Watch this space.
The show will restart the popular book-to-film franchise from the beginning. The plan is for each season of the show to adapt a single book from controversial author J.K. Rowling’s franchise, starting with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone".
Here is the series’ official synopsis:
The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling and will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years. Exploring every corner of the wizarding world, each season will bring Harry Potter and its incredible adventures to new and existing audiences and will stream exclusively on Max where it’s available globally, including upcoming markets such as Turkey, the UK, Germany, and Italy, among others. The original, classic, and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch around the world.
HBO and Max have yet to announce a premiere date for the series, which is expected to begin filming this summer.
