Just think of all the points these guys are gonna get for Gryffindor.
Photo: Aidan Monaghan/HBO
The casting announcements for HBO’s new Harry Potter television adaptation feels a little bit like reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsthe seventh and final book in JK Rowling’s series. That arduous tome was stuffed to the brim with interpersonal conflict as the characters trudged through the woods, leaving the reader wondering if the end was truly in sight. While news surrounding the forthcoming adaptation slowly trickled along — John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and, somewhat controversially, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape — none of it was the marquee attraction. None of them were Harry Potter himself, the titular role. But at last, after “tens of thousands of children who auditioned,” HBO has announced its new golden trio: Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
That two out of three of these first names already appear in the Harry Potter books feel like a strong sign that these kids have some magic in them. While Stanton has a bit of experience as one of the West End’s many MatildasMcLaughlin and Stout are relative newbies. McLaughlin appears to have had a bit part in a movie with soon-to-be-Hagrid Nick Frost, whereas Stout very clearly has that Weasley je ne sais quoi, if a still photo is to be trusted. Or maybe it’s the hair.
Just as one might wonder whether it’s ethical to bring a child into a climate catastrophe, there has already been some buzz over whether or not it’s “good” them bring children into the ongoing arguments surrounding this show, ranging from Rowling’s outspoken transphobia to the fan community’s bizarre insistence on racial accuracy. That DiscussingFilm and HBO’s Instagram disabled comments on the casting is not an especially encouraging sign.
In the 20th-anniversary special that aired in 2021 on HBO, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson all spoke about the ways in which Chris Columbus and the crew on the first two movies protected them, making the environment feel genuinely like they were all going to school together. And all things considered, the original trio are relatively well adjusted: One is a Tony Award winner, one is friends with M. Night Shyamalan, and one owns a gin company. Hopefully the new showrunner, Francesca Gardiner, can inspire a similar safe space as she continues to build out her vision of the Potter– verse. If that means turning off the comments, so be it. There’s just one question remaining: Who’s going to play Malfoy?
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