Production is now underway on HBO's small-screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. We recently got a first official look at Dominic McLaughlin as the titular Boy Wizard, and these latest set photos taken at London Zoo (via SFFGazette.com) give us another glimpse of the young actor alongside members of the thoroughly unpleasant Dursley family.
In the novels, Harry is begrudgingly taken in by Petunia and Vernon Dursley following the death of his parents. The lad is not treated very well (to say the least), but does ultimately put his differences with their son, Dudley, aside.
In related news, Variety reports that Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is building a temporary school so that the show’s young cast can keep up with their studies during filming.
"Three Rivers District Council is permitting the studio to “use a series of portable buildings as a school facility for the next decade. The proposed classrooms have been designed to be used by up to 600 pupils during peak periods, when large crowd scenes are shot, but will typically serve about 150 students. It will operate on weekdays between 5:30am and 8:30pm so young actors can fit in their actual studies between night shoots, reshoots and location filming.”
Check out the photos at the links below.
Harry Potter's principal cast also includes Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Francesca Gardiner (Succession, His Dark Materials, Killing Eve) is on board as showrunner and executive producer, with Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones, The Last of Us) enlisted as executive producer and director of multiple episodes.
The show's official logline reads: "The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years."
"Each season will bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally."
Warner Bros. TV boss Channing Dungey said last year that the series will be “more in-depth than you can in just a two-hour film… that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey.”