Finally, HBO has confirmed some of the cast members of their upcoming Harry Potter reboot series for some of Hogwarts' iconic characters.
On Monday, April 14, 2025, HBO announced that John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, and Nick Frost have been cast as Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, and Rubeus Hagrid, respectively, in the new Harry Potter reboot series.
Previously, there were reports that all four actors were in talks for the show. Now, HBO has made it official. Additionally, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse are joining the cast in recurring roles as Quirinus Quierrell and Argus Filch, respectively.
“We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon, and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell, and Filch,” the showrunner and executive producer of the Harry Potter series Francesca Gardiner said in a statement.
Mark Mylod, who will direct several episodes of the Harry Potter reboot series and executive produce it, also weighed in. “We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life,” Mylod said.
Article Continues BelowThese are the first round of castings made official for HBO's Harry Potter reboot series. However, main roles like Harry, Hermione, and Ron have not been filled yet. Filming for the series is expected to start in the summer of 2025, so expect more news soon.
HBO is rebooting the Harry Potter series over a decade after the iconic film series. J.K. Rowling's books were adapted over the course of 10 years from 2001-11, with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson leading the series as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, respectively.
The Harry Potter series grossed over $7 billion worldwide at the box office. The subsequent Fantastic Beasts trilogy added over $1.8 billion as well to the franchise's total haul.
Each season of the upcoming show will adapt one of Rowling's books. It is a similar approach to Disney+'s new Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. They first adapted The Lightning Thief in 2023, and they will soon adapt The Sea of Monsters.