'Harry Potter' reboot series begins filming as HBO reveals first look at new cast

Highlights:

• Dominic McLaughlin unveiled as the new Harry Potter as HBO’s TV reboot begins filming.
• Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout confirmed as Hermione and Ron.
• Series to release in 2027, one season per book over a decade-long plan.
• John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu, and Katherine Parkinson join the ensemble cast.

Production is officially underway for HBO’s long-awaited Harry Potter series, with the first image of 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin in costume as the Boy Who Lived. The reboot marks a return to Hogwarts nearly 14 years after the final film in the original movie franchise wrapped, and it promises to revisit each of J.K. Rowling’s seven novels, with one season dedicated to each book.

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New Harry Potter cast includes young British actors and seasoned stars

The lead trio, McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, were chosen from a pool of tens of thousands of children in an extensive casting process. HBO revealed the three in May, and now a wider ensemble has been confirmed.

Among the new faces joining the world of wizards are Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Hooch, and Anton Lesser as wandmaker Ollivander. Other key characters have been recast with prominent British actors, including John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley.

Series to be “faithful adaptation” with new creative vision

The reboot is being described by HBO as a “faithful” retelling of Rowling’s original books but with more space and time to explore the stories in detail. Francesca Gardiner, best known for her work on Succession and Killing Eve, serves as the showrunner and writer. Longtime HBO collaborator Mark Mylod is on board as director for multiple episodes and will also serve as executive producer.

The series is being filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, the same location used for the original film series. Costume designer Holly Waddington, who recently won an Academy Award for Poor Things, has joined the production, while Killing Eve’s Laura Neal is part of the writers’ room.

2027 premiere planned amid 10-year storytelling commitment

While HBO has confirmed the first season will cover The Philosopher’s Stone, the network has not revealed whether subsequent seasons will continue yearly. However, executives have hinted at a decade-long rollout, aligning roughly with the timeline of the books’ original publication. The series will stream on HBO and HBO Max (or Max where available) and is expected to debut sometime in 2027, thirty years after the first Harry Potter book was released.

The reboot arrives at a time when the franchise’s popularity remains strong, thanks to its films, video games, and stage production The Cursed Child. The new series is being positioned as a way to introduce Hogwarts to a new generation while offering long-time fans a deeper, more expansive adaptation.

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What else is known about the production?

In addition to familiar characters, the new series will introduce younger versions of beloved Hogwarts students, such as Draco Malfoy (played by Lox Pratt), Parvati Patil (Alessia Leoni), Seamus Finnigan (Leo Earley), and Lavender Brown (Sienna Moosah). Lucius Malfoy will be played by Johnny Flynn, while Daniel Rigby and Bel Powley step in as Vernon and Petunia Dursley.

HBO has also reportedly brought back Framestore, the VFX company behind the original movies, to recreate the magical world for television.

Despite the controversy surrounding Rowling’s recent public views, HBO has reaffirmed her involvement as an executive producer, suggesting that the show will still be grounded in the spirit of her original world-building, even as it brings in a diverse and updated cast.