These include not only the IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson playing Molly Weasley, but also Dexter’s John Lithgow playing Albus Dumbledore, and Nick Frost (the Cornetto Trilogy) taking on the mantle of Rubeus Hagrid.
Filming has already begun for the first season, adapting the Philosopher’s Stone book into eight episodes — making it four times the length of the first among the Harry Potter movies. However, for more on the Harry Potter series’, including the potential release date, more casting news, and the TV show’s plot, the rest of this watch guide below has you covered.
Harry Potter TV series release date speculation
HBO’s Harry Potter adaptation is currently expected to premiere in 2027, following comments by CEO & President of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav.
Originally reported by TVLine, Zaslav told reporters back in November 2024: “Oh, it could probably be [2027], something like that”.
“But don’t hold me to any of that, because we’re just getting started in the writing and casting process”.
Although an exact release date hasn’t been announced yet, we’ll update this page as soon as we hear more.
A lot has happened since Zaslav’s comments, including the casting of the key actors, but the logistics still look like a 2027 release date for the Harry Potter show is doable.
Filming for the new Harry Potter began in July 2025, beginning what is intended to be a seven-season adaptation, taking place across the UK in locations like London Zoo, King’s Cross Station, and Hertfordshire.
If filming wraps by the end of 2025, that gives HBO a full year for post-production (which is likely to be quite complicated for a big-budget fantasy series), as well as getting started on season 2.
One obvious concern is making sure the show stays on track to release one new season per year, so the lead actors don’t end up growing too old for their roles.
Speaking about HBO’s plans to film new seasons as quickly and efficiently as possible, HBO CEO Casey Bloys, when talking to Collider’s Steve Weintraub at HBO press event, said: “From 11 to 13, is a big jump in kids’ lives. You can get away with 13 to 15, something like that. So we are going to have to think about scheduling and shooting so that they don’t grow too much between seasons. It is a consideration.”
“I think an annual schedule would be tough, but it depends on how much is written ahead of time.”
Bloys also confirmed that author JK Rowling is involved in the project, amid ongoing controversy regarding her views on trans rights, which have turned many former fans away from the franchise.
In response to these concerns, an HBO spokesperson said (via Variety): “We are proud to once again tell the story of Harry Potter — the heartwarming books that speak to power of friendship, resolve and acceptance”.
“J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
This has done little to quell concerns over Rowling’s impact as a public figure, and how her income from the Potter franchise may be used to facilitate anti-LGBTQ+ projects.
In recent years, the author was notably absent from the 20-year anniversary special of the Harry Potter movies, and the 2023 Hogwarts Legacy spin-off game faced boycotts. Meanwhile, several fan-run organisations have distanced themselves from Rowling, including the international association for real-life Quidditch, which has renamed the sport “quadball.”
Who will be the cast starring in the Harry Potter TV series?
As mentioned above, the lead stars playing Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger have been confirmed. Back in September, there was an open casting call looking for the three kids, with Warner boss Channing Dungey admitting it would be “tricky” to allocate the roles (via Variety).
Now we know that, in HBO’s Harry Potter series, Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry, Arabella Stanton will play Hermione and Alastair Stout will play Ron.
Stanton is known for having previously starred in the West End production of Matilda, as well as the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of Starlight Express. Stout has been seen in TV advertisements, while McLaughlin will be seen in Sky Original comedy Grow.
Following the lead actors being announced, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director/executive producer Mark Mylod said in a statement to Variety: “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.”
Meanwhile, HBO previously announced that John Lithgow is set to play Albus Dumbledore in the new Harry Potter show.
Lithgow previously said of taking on the role: “It came as a total surprise to me. I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid. But I’m very excited.”
Elsewhere, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) will star as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds) will star as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) will appear as Rubeus Hagrid.
While those four series regulars had previously been rumoured to be joining the project, some other new additions have been more unexpected.
The more surprising additions are Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) as Argus Filch, who will appear in guest/recurring roles. Thallon is currently best known in the theatre world and most recently starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2025 Hamlet.
In June, a whole load of new additions were also announced to fill out supporting roles. Katherine Parkinson (Rivals) will play Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt (Lord of the Flies) will play Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn (Ripley) will play Lucius Malfoy and Bertie Carvel (The Crown) will play Cornelius Fudge.
Meanwhile, Leo Earley will play Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni will play Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah will play Lavender Brown, Bel Powley (Masters of the Air) will play Petunia Dursley and Daniel Rigby (I, Jack Wright) will play Vernon Dursley.
Unfortunately, those hoping for returns from the film franchise’s stars, such as Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson or Rupert Grint, are out of luck – it’s not looking likely. Chatting to ComicBook.com, Radcliffe quashed any speculation about him making an appearance.
He said: “My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh, and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere.”
He continued: “So I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way… but I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world, and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.”
Argus Filch star David Bradley told RadioTimes.com: “I think it’ll be very interesting to see what they will do with the extra time they’ll have to film more of the books than we could.
“The Goblet of Fire and the last two, they were quite chunky – how do you condense those into a two and a half hour film?
“Of course, you’ve got to sacrifice quite a lot of plot and characters. I’m assuming the reason they’re doing it is they’ll be able to include more of the story because they’ll have more screen time – a lot more than the films had. I’ll be interested. I haven’t had the call yet!”
Asked whether it felt strange to see a new adaptation in the works, Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, mused: “It’s no weirder for me than for everybody else who’s seen the films. I happen to be in the films too.”
He continued: “They make a new Spider-Man every 15 minutes. You know, there was a ton of stuff in the books that we left out. Yeah, it’s an odd feeling, but it’s no odder for me than it is anyone else. I can’t wait to see them and see what they do.”
Behind the camera, we know that His Dark Materials writer Francesca Gardiner will serve as showrunner, while Succession director Mark Mylod is attached to produce and film some episodes.
Meanwhile, JK Rowling will executive produce the series, alongside Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts.
“Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series,” said Rowling.
Who is playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter series?
The actor who will be playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter HBO series hasn’t been revealed just yet, but well-known contenders like Matthew Macfadyen, Matt Smith, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Hiddleston are in the running, according to Online Betting Guide.
However, known entertainment industry leaker Daniel Richtman recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Harry Potter TV show is “auditioning both men and women for Voldemort”, so there is a chance Tom Riddle could be portrayed by a female.
There is no confirmation of either claim yet, but we will be updating this guide as soon as we hear more.
What is the Harry Potter TV series about?
The series will be based on all seven books in the series, originally published between 1997 and 2007.
A statement from the newly branded Max explained: “The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.
“The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years.”
It continued: “Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
The Harry Potter series will stream on HBO Max.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
