HBO's Harry Potter Cast Is Coming Together. Here's Everything We Know

The new Harry Potter cast is taking shape, thirteen years after the final installment of the original film series.

That’s right—it’s been almost a decade and a half since The Deathly Hallows Pt. II, which is a pretty long time to go without a reboot for a franchise as huge as Harry Potter, not least in the age of rapacious IP exploitation. Yeah, sure, the Fantastic Beasts movies scratched an itch for the wannabe wizards of the world, and the triple-A video game Hogwarts Legacy provided a veritable Floo Network for millions of Potterheads. But neither holds a magically floating candle to the O.G. films, right?

So now comes an HBO TV series adapting the original Harry Potter novels, which is expected to be epic in length, rolling out over the course of a decade (or more).

The film series made stars of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, and introduced a new generation of fans to beloved British and Irish character actors like Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Robbie Coltrane, and Imelda Staunton. There’s little doubt, then, that HBO’s Harry Potter is the hottest casting target for British talent this side of Game of Thrones, even if enthusiasm for the project has been dampened by Potter creator J.K. Rowling’s ongoing social-media crusade against trans rights. (HBO head Casey Bloys has described Rowling as “fairly involved” with the series’ development, while noting that her presence hasn’t put anyone off signing up, per IndieWire.)

Nevertheless, all involved have a formidable challenge on their hands. Can they live up to the beloved character portrayals that gave the movies their magic? We should know a year or so from now — the series is set to begin shooting this year with an anticipated debut on HBO Max in 2026. We also know that Harry, Ron and Hermione will be cast from a pool of unknown child actors, as was the case with the films.

The latest big news for the Harry Potter cast? HBO have officially confirmed the four biggest adult parts in the Potterverse: it’ll be John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Paapa Essiedu as Snape.

Casting is well underway, then. But who should get the wands, robes, and magic motorbike? For this exercise, think of GQ as the sorting hat, as we pick through the most eligible British actors to join HBO’s new Potterverse.