HBO's Harry Potter TV series is still expected to begin shooting this summer and, while no official casting announcements have been made as we write this, several names have done the rounds for many of the adults who populate the Wizarding World.
Paapa Essiedu (Gangs of London) is reportedly in talks to play Severus Snape, with Mark Strong (Green Lantern) and Mark Rylance (Ready Player One) among those eyed for Albus Dumbledore. Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters) and Rachel Weisz (Black Widow) could be on the cable network's radar for Minerva McGonagall, with Brett Goldstein (Thor: Love and Thunder) looking likely for Hagrid.
Today, scooper Daniel Richtman (via SFFGazette.com) brings word that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny star Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been offered the role of Petunia Dursley, Harry Potter's hateful aunt.
There was a lot the movies didn't do with the character due to time constraints. With that in mind, it makes sense to turn to an actor of Waller-Bridge's calibre to perhaps flesh her out a little more.
As well as starring in Solo: A Star Wars Story and Fleabag, Waller-Bridge is known for writing Killing Eve, No Time to Die, and is developing the upcoming Tomb Raider TV series starring Sophie Turner.
Francesca Gardiner (Succession) is Harry Potter's showrunner and previously said, "We have 8 hours to tell the first book, so we can dig into the real depths and crevices and how the language of magic can evolve."
Having "devoured" the Harry Potter books as a 14-year-old, she said last year that upwards of 32,000 young actors had auditioned for the lead roles of Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
As expected, the plan is to stick much closer to the books as well because Gardiner intends to cast characters to their "canonical" ages, meaning Severus Snap will be 31 and the Dursleys will also be much younger than they were in the movies. This also means that James and Lily Potter will be in their early 20s.
Gardiner noted that the benefit of a TV series is that it gives them a "bigger sandpit to play in" than the movies, while having more room to adapt these stories also means they can "really dig into the character arcs," though she's said her intention is not to "undo what was done so brilliantly" on the big screen. We will, however, get an updated take on Hogwarts and "get to have some fun with Peeves in the corridors."
Asked about the ongoing controversy surrounding author J.K. Rowling caused by what many feel are anti-trans views, HBO's Casey Bloys has said, "We are totally comfortable with" continuing to work with the author and added that he'd prefer to "do what the creatives want to do" rather than "listen to fan conversation."
HBO's Harry Potter is also executive produced by Mark Mylod, J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films. The series is expected to premiere either in 2026 or 2027.