Who will next take on the roles of iconic characters like Harry, Ron and Hermione?
In spring 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that the “Harry Potter” novel and film series by JK Rowling would now also appear as a series. More concrete plans for the project were revealed at a presentation on Thursday, December 5, at Warner Bros. Discovery headquarters in London. This is when the scope really became visible. You’re dealing with dimensions that have never existed before in a series.
No final decisions yet
Showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod revealed at the presentation that 32,000 children auditioned. However, casting decisions have not yet been made; a team is currently looking through 500 to 1,000 videos per day and taking a close look at the applicants. The next step in the casting process would then be a workshop where the shortlist is invited.
During the casting, it is important that the kids’ parts (especially those of the lead trio Harry, Ron and Hermione) are distributed among newcomers. Diversity and inclusivity are also explicitly used as criteria, according to the information in the advertisement. The adult roles will be distributed to “brilliant theater actors in the UK,” as Variety reports. No name has been confirmed yet, but there are rumors that Irish actor Cillian Murphy (Oscar for “Oppenheimer”) could take on the role of the antagonist Voldemort.
The legacy of the films will live on
What was also announced is that the series will be broadcast over a period of ten years. Gardiner would see this as an opportunity to “really immerse yourself in the characters’ traits” and also explore the setting’s environment in more detail. They don’t want to noticeably change the setting of the series from the films. Since the series will be shot in the same studios in London as the previous films, there are also plans to use old props from the films from the archive.
HBO probably still stands by JK Rowling
However, the project is controversial. Warner Bros. subsidiary HBO, where the series also airs, is apparently still behind JKRowling. The author came under criticism for her negative views on the subject of transgender identity, which she shared on X (then still Twitter) in 2020. At that time, the stars of the films such as Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson also spoke out against the UK writer. But the network HBO only said in a statement to Variety: “JK Rowling has a right to express her personal views. “We will continue to focus on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.” She apparently has an eye on the casting and is also involved in the production process.