HBO’s Harry Potter reboot is digging deep into the books and pulling forward one of the strangest omissions from the original films in the form of Professor Cuthbert Binns. The History of Magic teacher, described in the novels as a ghost who continued lecturing even after his death, has officially been cast. Veteran actor Richard Durden will play the role, marking the first time the character will appear in a live-action adaptation. Durden will be acting older than he is, though, given that he is both alive, and not over 150 years old.

For fans, this is a long-overdue addition. Binns was always something of an anomaly in the books. He never interacted with other staff members, never joined in Hogwarts-wide events like the Battle of Hogwarts, and was barely acknowledged by the castle’s other ghosts. The guy just… died, and kept going. Hardcore.

Who Is Professor Binns?

According to Pottermore canon, Binns fell asleep in front of a fire one night, passed away in his chair, and then got up the next morning as a ghost to continue teaching like nothing had happened. Students often joked that he didn’t even realize he was dead. His monotone voice lulled classrooms into near-comas, but his lectures were thorough, if painfully boring. Hermione Granger famously shocked him just by interrupting a lesson with a question—an event so unusual it momentarily snapped him out of his droning rhythm. Fans often joke that if Binns had been present during the Battle of Hogwarts, he’d have kept lecturing straight through the explosions.

“…And during the goblin rebellion, a Hogwarts student whose name is lost slaughtered hundreds of poachers and goblins…” [large explosion outside] “…He was heralded as a hero but was later sent to Azkaban for crimes against humanity and crimes against goblanity…”

The image of the ghost professor droning on as spells blasted outside remains one of the more absurd missed opportunities from the films. Part of Binns’s charm is his sheer commitment. The man literally died and still comes to work every day, lecturing through eternity without asking for pay or even recognition. He’s not exactly a bad professor—his lectures were packed with detail and historical accuracy—it’s just that his delivery was so monotonous most students could barely stay awake. As fans put it: old-school teachers were just built different.

The Harry Potter series will premiere globally on HBO and HBO Max in 2027.

via Collider