Harry Potter (TV series)

Main

• Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, an 11-year-old orphan raised by his bitter uncle Vernon and aunt Petunia. When he is accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he learns of his own fame as a wizard, having survived his parents' murder at the hands of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort as an infant.^[2][3]
• Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend at Hogwarts and the second youngest member of the Weasley wizarding family.^[2]
• Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, a Muggle-born witch from London; she excels in Hogwarts classes, and becomes the trio's brains.^[2] Stanton was also cast as the voice of a younger Hermione Granger in the upcoming audiobook adaptations of the first three books.^[4]
• John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and a famous wizard who mentors Harry.^[5]
• Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts and the Head of Gryffindor House.^[5]
• Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Professor of Potions at Hogwarts and the Head of Slytherin House who has a past with Harry's parents.^[5]
• Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, a half-Giant and groundskeeper at Hogwarts.^[5]
• Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, the mean-spirited caretaker of Hogwarts.^[5] Whitehouse previously portrayed Sir Cadogan in the 2004 film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, though his scenes largely did not make the final cut.^[6]
• Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.^[5]
• Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin student at Hogwarts who soon becomes an adversary to Harry.^[7]
• Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Harry's aunt, with whom he goes to live following the death of his parents.^[7]
• Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Harry's uncle, with whom he lives following the death of his parents.^[7]

Recurring

• Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, a fellow Gryffindor student at Hogwarts.^[8]
• Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ron's older brother and Fred's twin.^[9]
• Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, Ron's older brother and a Hogwarts prefect.^[9]
• Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, a fellow Gryffindor student at Hogwarts and twin of Padma.^[7]
• Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, a fellow Gryffindor student at Hogwarts.^[7]
• Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe, a fellow Slytherin student at Hogwarts.^[10]
• William Nash as Gregory Goyle, a fellow Slytherin student at Hogwarts.^[10]
• Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, a fellow Gryffindor student at Hogwarts.^[7]
• Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, a fellow Gryffindor student at Hogwarts.^[10]
• Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Ron's older brother and George's twin.^[9]
• Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick, Professor of Charms at Hogwarts and the Head of Ravenclaw House. Davis reprises his role from the film series.^[10]
• Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout, Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts and the Head of Hufflepuff House.^[10]
• Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic.^[11]
• Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father who prizes his family's "pure" wizarding blood.^[7]
• Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Ron's mother.^[7]
• Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Harry's cousin.^[8]
• Louise Brealey as Madam Hooch, the broomstick flying instructor at Hogwarts.^[8]
• Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander, a wandmaker who owns Ollivanders in Diagon Alley.^[8]
• Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister.^[9]
• Leigh Gill as Griphook, a goblin employed at the Gringotts Wizarding Bank.^[10]
• Richard Durden as Cuthbert Binns, ghost-Professor of History of Magic at Hogwarts.^[10]
• Bríd Brennan as Madame Poppy Pomfrey, the matron of Hogwarts hospital wing.^[10]
• Orson Matthews as Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch team keeper and captain.^[12]
• Asha Soetan as Angelina Johnson, a Gryffindor Quidditch team chaser.^[12]
• Eire Farrell as Katie Bell, a Gryffindor Quidditch team chaser.^[12]
• Serrana Su-Ling Bliss as Alicia Spinnet, a Gryffindor Quidditch team chaser.^[12]
• Ethan Smith as Lee Jordan, the Weasley twins’ best friend and Quidditch commentator.^[12]
• India Moon as Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts.^[12]
• James Trevelyan Buckle as Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts.^[12]
• Cian Eagle-Service as Ernie MacMillan, a Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts.^[12]
• Jazmyn Lewin as Susan Bones, a Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts.^[12]
• Anjula Murali as Padma Patil, a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts and twin of Parvati.^[12]
• Aaron Zhao as Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts.^[12]
• Scarlett Archer as Penelope Clearwater, a Ravenclaw prefect at Hogwarts.^[12]
• Eve Walls as Lisa Turpin, a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts.^[12]
• Oliver Croft as Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch team chaser and captain.^[12]
• James Dowell as Lucian Bole, a Slytherin Quidditch team beater.^[12]
• D’Angelou Osei-Kissiedu as Graham Montague, a Slytherin Quidditch team chaser.^[12]
• Dylan Heath as Adrian Pucey, a Slytherin Quidditch team chaser.^[12]
• Cornelius Brandreth as Terence Higgs, the Slytherin Quidditch team seeker.^[12]
• Eddison Burch as Miles Bletchley, the Slytherin Quidditch team keeper.^[12]
• Henry Medhurst as Peregrine Derrick, a Slytherin Quidditch team beater.^[12]
• Laila Barwick as Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin student at Hogwarts and friend of Draco.^[12]

Guest

• Mickey McAnulty as Piers Polkiss, Dudley's friend.^[13]
• Lambert Wilson as Nicolas Flamel, an alchemist who gained immortality through his creation of the Philosopher's stone.^[14]
• Marthe Keller as Perenelle Flamel, Nicolas' wife^[14]
• Naomi Wirthner as Madam Malkin, the owner of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions at Diagon Alley^[15]

Background

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by Rowling from 1997 to 2007.^[16][17] From 2001 to 2011, these were adapted into eight eponymous films, with the final book, Deathly Hallows, split into two feature-length films. Both the books and films have had a notable influence on popular culture;^[18] the books have been translated into more than eighty languages,^[19] and the film series is the fourth highest-grossing film franchise of all time, with the eight films released collectively grossing over $7.7 billion worldwide.^[20]

Development

In January 2021, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that a Harry Potter television series was in early development and that HBO Max executives were looking for potential writers.^[21] However, HBO Max and Warner Bros. denied the report, saying there was no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform.^[22][23] By May 2022, reports circulated about the announced meeting between Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Rowling in their discussion for future HBO Max projects set within the Wizarding World franchise.^[24][25][26]

In December 2022, it was reported that Warner Bros. Television CEO Channing Dungey shared plans to expand the Wizarding World franchise.^[27] In April 2023, at a Warner Bros. investors meeting, it was announced that the series was in development. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Zaslav revealed plans for the series during a presentation for the new streaming service Max, the successor to HBO Max. The series would span a decade, and each season would be "faithful" to the book series.^[28] A search for a showrunner was underway, while David Heyman was in talks to executive produce after serving as a producer of the film series. The first season is expected to cover the entirety of the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997).^[29] After Rowling was confirmed to be an executive producer on the series, this caused backlash due to the controversy she previously attracted over her views on transgender issues, but HBO and HBO Max chairman and CEO Casey Bloys reaffirmed her involvement.^[30] Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts were set as executive producers on the series by April 2023.^[28]

Deadline Hollywood stated that by February 2024, there was a shortlist of three candidates to be the series' creative leader, including Succession writer Francesca Gardiner.^[31] In June, Gardiner was hired as the showrunner and writer, and Mark Mylod was hired to direct several episodes of the series. Moreover, both of them and Heyman were announced as executive producers.^[32] As part of a strategy shift for content, Harry Potter was moved from Max streaming to HBO network release in June 2024.^[33] The series is planned to be produced for ten consecutive years, according to comments Bloys and Zaslav made in 2023 and 2025.^[34]

Writing

Andy Greenwald, Bijan Sheibani, Josephine Gardiner, Laura Neal, Martha Hillier, Ripley Parker, Sam Holcroft, and Ted Cohen serve as writers on the series,^[35] alongside Francesca Gardiner.^[2] Rowling offered positive feedback on the scripts of the first two episodes on social media in June 2025, adding she had "worked closely" with the writers; however, she was not going to get any writing credits.^[36] By November 2025, writing for the second season had already begun.^[37]

Casting

Led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann,^[2] in September 2024, a casting call was released looking for child actors to portray Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger,^[38] searching for children aged 9–11 as of April 2025 who were residents of the UK and Ireland, describing that agents were to submit "qualified performers, without regard to ethnicity, sex, disability, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity".^[39] 32,000 actors auditioned for those roles.^[2][39][40]

From November to December 2024, various actors were being considered for roles in the series. These included Mark Rylance and Mark Strong for Albus Dumbledore,^[41][42] Paapa Essiedu for Severus Snape,^[43] Sharon Horgan and Rachel Weisz for Minerva McGonagall, and Brett Goldstein for Rubeus Hagrid.^[42] By December, a decision on the casting of Harry, Ron, and Hermione was expected to be reached "relatively soon".^[39] In February 2025, John Lithgow entered final negotiations to portray Dumbledore,^[44] and he announced his casting soon after.^[45] In March, Essiedu was nearing a deal to portray Snape, while Janet McTeer and Nick Frost entered negotiations to play McGonagall and Hagrid.^[46][47] In April 2025, Lithgow, McTeer, Essiedu, and Frost were confirmed to star in the series, with Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse joining the cast in recurring roles as Quirinus Quirrell and Argus Filch.^[5] Essiedu's casting drew criticism from some fans due to Snape being described in the books as white;^{[48][49][50][51]} in March 2026, Essiedu revealed that he had received death threats and racist abuse on social media because of the casting.^[52]

In May 2025, Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton were cast as Harry, Ron and Hermione.^[2][53] The following month, the additional cast announced were Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.^[7] In July, Rory Wilmot and Amos Kitson were cast in the roles of Neville Longbottom and Dudley Dursley, respectively, while Louise Brealey joined as Madam Hooch, and Anton Lesser was cast as Garrick Ollivander.^[8]

In August, Gracie Cochrane, Tristan Harland, Gabriel Harland, and Ruari Spooner were revealed to have been cast as Ginny Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Percy Weasley, respectively.^[9] In September, Warwick Davis was announced to reprise his role of Filius Flitwick, which he previously portrayed in the film series. Additionally, Leigh Gill, Elijah Oshin, Finn Stephens, William Nash, Sirine Saba, Richard Durden, and Bríd Brennan were cast as Griphook, Dean Thomas, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Pomona Sprout, Cuthbert Binns and Poppy Pomfrey, respectively.^[10] In October, Lambert Wilson joined the cast as Nicolas Flamel and Marthe Keller as Perenelle Flamel.^[14] In March 2026, casting announcements for many Hogwarts students were announced.^[12]

Design

Holly Waddington serves as the costume designer, while Mara LePere-Schloop serves as the production designer.^[54][55]

Filming

Principal photography began on 14 July 2025,^[8] under the working title Dark Train,^[56] at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Watford, Hertfordshire, where the original eight Harry Potter films were also filmed,^[57] with Mylod directing and Adriano Goldman as cinematographer.^[55] A temporary school for the child actors was built at the studio, designed to be used by up to 600 pupils.^[58] In May 2025, sets for the series had reportedly already begun to be built.^[59] That same month, the film crew spent over a week at the Île de Sein in Brittany, filming around the Tévennec Lighthouse.^[60][61] On 14 July 2025, the first photo from production was released, showing McLaughlin dressed in character.^[62] On 17 July, filming was spotted taking place at the London Zoo, with McLaughlin, Powley, Rigby, Kitson, and Mickey McAnulty dressed in character.^[63]

On 18 August, filming took place at Borough High Street, in Southwark, London, with McLaughlin and Frost present.^[64] On 24 and 25 August, filming occurred at King's Cross station with the actors playing the Weasley family.^[65][66] In mid-September, filming took place in Hoddesdon with Daniel Rigby present, and at Wardown Park in Luton with actors believed to be portraying Lily Potter and James Potter.^[67][68] The following week, Deadline confirmed a report that William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, along with their children Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and Prince Louis of Wales had visited the Hogsmeade Station set built at Windsor Great Park.^[69] In early October, scenes were shot in Cornwall, including Cadgwith, Carnglaze Caverns and Kynance Cove.^[70] On 21 October, filming took place on a rooftop in Skipton.^[71] By November, production took place in Ashridge with numerous cast members, which is also where the Quidditch World Cup scenes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) were filmed.^[72]

Filming for the first season is expected to last until mid-2026, with production on the second season set to begin a few months thereafter.^[9] In November 2025, Bloys reaffirmed his intention to film these seasons back-to-back.^[37]

Post-production

Alexis Wajsbrot serves as the visual effects supervisor.^[55]

Music

Hans Zimmer and his music company, Bleeding Fingers Music, had been revealed to compose the score by January 2026.^[73]