New ‘Harry Potter’ Series Rounds Out Final Cast

Get your tickets for Platform 9 3/4 ready now, as the new Harry Potter series is almost here. And new cast members for the first chapter of the adaptation have been revealed.

Harry Gilby has joined the cast as Charlie Weasley, Jasper Talbot will star as James Potter, and Hannah Chinn will also debut as Lily Potter in the new TV series. Plus, the voice actors joining the show are Leo Bill (“Nearly Headless Nick”), Andrew Brooke (“The Bloody Baron”), Laura Smyth (“The Fat Lady”), Daniel Fearn (“The Fat Friar”), and David Threlfall (voice of “The Sorting Hat”).

Previously, new teasers for the series were revealed by HBO. In the first, embedded above, we see the title wizard-in-waiting being tormented by his adoptive aunt and uncle and their beloved cousin until he gets an invitation to discover who he truly is (and what he can truly do) at Hogwarts. That’s when the magic begins, of course.

The second teaser, below, we see the titular wizard meet his eventual best friends on the Hogwarts Express, participate in the sorting ceremony, and begin his adventures at the fabled school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Read on for more details about the new Harry Potter series.

When will the Harry Potter series premiere?

Harry Potter will debut on HBO and HBO Max on Christmas 2026.

Who has been cast in the Harry Potter TV series?

Starring as the three lead roles are: Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The cast is rounded out by a litany of industry veterans.

John Lithgow was chosen to star as Albus Dumbledore. Lithgow talked about the casting process to ScreenRant, saying, “Well, 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. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That’s why it’s been such a hard decision. I’ll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I’ve said yes.”

HBO has also confirmed that Nick Frost is being tapped to star as Rubeus Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.

Meanwhile, Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby were chosen to star as Harry’s Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley, along with 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, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge. Lastly, HBO Max announced Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.

In August 2025, HBO announced casting for the other Weasley siblings: Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, and Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley. Harry Gilby will also portray Charlie Weasley, while Jasper Talbot and Hannah Chinn star as James and Lily Potter, respectively.  

 

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In March 2026, HBO released a first glimpse of the production on its official Instagram account, featuring McLaughlin as Harry walking toward the Quidditch pitch in his Gryffindor cloak.

Aidan Monaghan/HBO

When will the new Harry Potter show premiere?

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced during the company’s Q4 earnings call on February 23, 2024, that the initial season of the Harry Potter television series is slated to debut on the Max streaming service in 2026.

“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way,” said Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, of HBO & Max Content, in a previous statement. “Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon, and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”

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What is the plot of the Harry Potter TV series?

The series aims to cover seven seasons, each adapting one of J.K. Rowling’s acclaimed fantasy novels from the bestselling Harry Potter series. The hope is for the stories of the books to become a decade-long series. “Each season will be authentic to the original books,” Max promises.

The official logline for Season 1 reads, “There is nothing special about Harry Potter – or so his Aunt Petunia tells him. But when a mysterious letter of admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry arrives, it opens the door to a hidden world of magic, friendship, and adventure. Yet behind Hogwarts’ enchanted walls lie dark secrets. Harry must find the courage to prove himself against the darkest wizard of all.”

In the interconnected universe of Harry Potter, there have been seven books made into eight movies, three Fantastic Beasts films, the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, video and mobile games, consumer products, live entertainment (including four theme park lands), and exhibitions. There are also Wizarding World Tours and retail stores.

In an interview with Draco actor Lox Pratt in 1883 Magazine, it was revealed that the series will offer insight into the personal lives of both teachers and the Draco family. “I think with this adaptation, you get to see so much more than the books. [The books] are very much over Harry’s shoulder, which is great, and that’s how they played the film as well,” said Pratt in a February 2026 interview. “You get to see all the teachers in their little rooms. You get to see Draco at home. I won’t spoil too much about that, but there are some brilliant scenes at home where you start to get an insight into how he is.”

Who is on the creative team for the Harry Potter TV series?

Succession‘s Francesca Gardiner will write, and Mark Mylod will direct multiple episodes. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.

Hans Zimmer and his music company, Bleeding Fingers Music, are set to compose the score. “The musical legacy of Harry Potter is a touch point for composers everywhere, and we are humbled to join such a remarkable team on a project of this magnitude,” Zimmer and Bleeding Fingers Music composers Kara Talve and Anže Rozman told Variety. “The responsibility is something that myself, Kara Talve, and Anže Rozman do not take lightly. Magic is all around us, often just beyond reach, but as in the world of Harry Potter, you simply must look for it. With this score we hope to bring audiences that little bit closer to it whilst honoring what has come before.”

Will J.K. Rowling be involved?

The author will serve as an executive producer of the series. “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,” Rowling said in a statement when the show was announced.

What else is there to know about Harry Potter?

Ths adaptation, beginning with The Philosopher’s Stone, is bringing the magic of Hogwarts along for a new generation of fans with a new scripted Harry Potter series. It is described as “a faithful adaptation” of J.K. Rowling’s beloved book series.

This will be the second time the franchise has been adapted after the blockbuster film franchise, which spanned eight films and starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.

The new series, which is poised to adapt the books more closely, will be putting a new set of stars on the map, with newcomers taking on the lead roles of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, and other industry veterans taking on the supporting roles.

Season 2 is currently in production.

Harry Potter, Season 1 Premiere, December 25, HBO & HBO Max