Wizarding World fans remain in equal parts intrigued and nervous to see how different HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series will be from the movies, especially as—beyond a few missing characters and subplots—those big screen adaptations were very faithful to J.K. Rowling's novels.
Recently, you might have seen reports about the show having a narrator. That would certainly be one way to differentiate it from what's come before, and it's been widely reported that British actor Tom Turner (Beauty and the Beast) would fill the unseen role.
Praised for his "rich" and "luxurious" vocal chords by his voice agency, it initially seemed hard to fault HBO's casting pick. However, it turns out not only will Harry Potter not have a narrator, but Turner won't even be in the series!
Deadline (via SFFGazette.com) confirmed this with HBO sources, so the cable network clearly wanted to clear up the misconception quickly. A narrator would have made this take on Harry Potter different, but not necessarily for the better.
While this change isn't happening, Harry Potter won't be exactly like the movies. For example, One Life and Lovesick star Johnny Flynn, who plays Lucius Malfoy, confirmed he will appear in Season 1, despite the character not appearing in the books until Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
"It’s good, I’ve only done a little bit and I’m just giddy as a fan of the stories, of the books really," the actor shared. "I still remember reading the books as a teenager, and they meant so much to me and so much to my kids, so it’s really cool to be a part of this."
Another big change confirmed by set photos is that we'll fully explore the night that James and Lily Potter died, scenes that weren't fully revealed on the page until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Dominic McLaughlin has been cast in the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
Joining them will be Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe, and William Nash as Gregory Goyle.
Harry Potter's adult cast includes 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, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout, Richard Durden as Cuthbert Binns, Bríd Brennan as Madam Poppy Pomfrey, and Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick.
The series will also feature Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, and Leigh Gill as Griphook.
Harry Potter is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
HBO's Harry Potter TV series premieres in 2027.