A first look at Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter for the upcoming HBO reboot series of the fantasy franchise has been released by the makers.
The highly-anticipated HBO series has started production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK. The show went on floors almost 14 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 concluded Harry’s journey on the big screen.
In the first-look picture, shared by HBO Max on Instagram, McLaughlin can be seen smiling in his Hogwarts robes with the character’s signature round glasses and lightning scar.
“First-years, step forward. The HBO Original Harry Potter series is now in production,” the streamer wrote alongside the picture.
The first glimpse came as a surprise to fans, who heaped praise on it for being accurate to the description of Harry in the books by JK Rowling. “This kid even looks like the cover art for the books more than Daniel. Good stuff,” one of them wrote. “Ok. Yup. He was the perfect choice,” another commented.
McLaughlin will be joined by Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The Golden Trio were selected from more than 30,000 actors after a casting call audition last year.
In addition to the first-look image, new cast members were also announced on Monday. Rory Wilmot is set to star as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.
Previously, HBO announced the new cast for Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. While John Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu will feature as Severus Snape in the upcoming series. However, the casting of actor Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, previously played by Alan Rickman, did not sit well with fans.
The cast also includes Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Luke Thallon will play Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse will play Argus Filch in the show. Both actors will appear as guest stars and will recur throughout the series.
The series is set to debut in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max, US-based entertainment magazine has reported.
Led by showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod of Succession, the HBO series is described as a faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling's best-selling novel series about the wizarding world.
