Several actors have been rumoured to be in contention for Harry Potter in recent months, but HBO has officially added six adult cast members to this small screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling's beloved series of novels.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, series regulars will include six-time Emmy, two-time Tony Award, Olivier winner, and BAFTA and Oscar nominee John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore; Tony Award, Golden Globe, and Olivier winner, and Oscar and Emmy nominee, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall; Emmy, Olivier, and BAFTA nominee Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape; and BIFA nominee Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Newly announced guest/recurring cast include Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and five-time BAFTA winner Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Lithgow is best known for his roles in Dexter and The Crown. Janet McTeer has appeared in The Menu and Ozark, while Paapa Essiedu recently starred in Gangs of London and The Lazarus Project. Nick Frost, meanwhile, was featured alongside Simon Pegg in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and will next be seen in How to Train Your Dragon.
Thallon is primarily a stage actor with no noteworthy screen credits but previously played Hamlet for The Royal Shakespeare Company. Whitehouse is a big name in the UK who has frequently collaborated with Bob Mortimer and appeared in Alice in Wonderland and The Death of Stalin.
"We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell and Filch," said Francesca Gardiner, showrunner and executive producer and Mark Mylod, director of multiple episodes and executive producer.
They added, "We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life."
The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling and will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years.
Exploring every corner of the wizarding world, each season will bring Harry Potter and its incredible adventures to new and existing audiences and will stream exclusively on Max where it’s available globally, including upcoming markets such as Turkey, the UK, Germany, and Italy, among others.
The upcoming series 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.
As always, keep checking back here for updates on Harry Potter as we have them.