Harry Potter fans have been waiting for this day ever since the HBO Max series was first announced. At some point, we knew that we would get to know the main trio from the story, and the Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint substitutes were announced today. The Gryffindor trio will now be played by Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), Arabella Stanton (Hermione), and Alastair Stout (Ron). The series is yet to get a release date.
Just like happened with the movie franchise, fans will get to see the new Harry, Hermione, and Ron grow up as the seasons of the series progress. So far, the show has been planned as a seven-season project, each one covering one volume of the world-famous novel series. Since the show will have more time to tell its story, fans are expecting to see forgotten story arcs from the book and characters that never made it to the movies.
Since they are so young, the trio hasn’t been in many projects — it was the same case with Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint back in 2001. McLaughlin is credited in the upcoming comedy Grow alongside Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), who has also been cast in the Harry Potter series as Rubeus Hagrid. According to Deadline, Stanton played the title role in Matilda the Musical in London’s West End. For the selection, HBO revealed that 32,000 kids auditioned for the three main roles — which underscores that this was probably one of the hardest parts of the series’ pre-production.
Meet The New Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley
In an official statement, series showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod celebrated the official announcement and teased the trio’s chemistry onscreen:
“After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron. The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen. We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It’s been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.”
McLaughlin, Stanton, and Stout join previously announced cast members John Lithgow (Conclave), who will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and Paapa Essiedu (Black Doves), who has been cast as Potions Master Severus Snape. Janet McTeer (Me Before You) will play fan favorite Professor McGonagall, Paul Whitehouse (The Change) will be Hogwarts’ caretaker Argus Filch, and Luke Thallon (The Favourite) will play Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Quirinus Quirrell.
HBO Max is yet to announce a release window for the Harry Potter series, but now that the main trio of kids has been selected, production should move at full speed before they start growing up too much.
via Collider