The upcoming Harry Potter reboot series has found its Harry, Hermione and Ron.
While Dominic McLaughlin will play the role of ‘The Boy Who Lived’, Arabella Stanton is set to feature as Harry’s geeky friend Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Harry’s red-haired bestie Ron Weasley, HBO announced on Tuesday.
HBO shared a Hogwarts acceptance letter for the new cast alongside a picture of the trio: “Dear Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasley: We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry”.
“Please welcome Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley to the HBO Original Series Harry Potter,” the post further said.
However, due to the criticism by longtime Harry Potter fans, the makers later disabled the comments section.
Soon after the announcement, fans took to X to share their thoughts. While several netizens were disappointed over the casting of Hermione and the trio’s age group, some also expressed their excitement about the series.
“Wait, when was Hermione Latina?” one of them asked. “Wasn't Hermione always a brunette in the books? Y'all get pressed about anything,” wrote a fan, pointing out that the casting for Hermione has done justice to the books.
“I wanted pre teens not toddlers,” a fan commented on the age group of the lead cast. “As a huge Harry Potter fan I must say these look pretty good. Could have been a lot worse. Though I imagine Ron to be a bit more lanky and Hermione to be a bit more pale, but you will never make everyone happy,” a longtime fan tweeted.
The trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron was originally played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, in the eight-part movie franchise, adapted from J.K. Rowling’s fantasy novels.
More than 30,000 actors auditioned for the lead roles since HBO launched an open casting call last fall, according to Variety. Filming for the series is expected to begin this summer.
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 Harry Potter reboot for television, announced in 2021, is described as a faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling's best-selling novel series about the wizarding world.
The first season is reportedly scheduled to premiere in 2026.
