How the Harry Potter film cast compares to the HBO series
It's not long at all now until HBO Max subscribers are treated to a brand new take on Harry Potter, and a slew of cast announcements have shown how the TV series will differ from the beloved films.
Our new Golden Trio will be played by Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton, and Daniel Radcliffe went out of his way to pen a supportive message for the young actors.
Two trailers mean we've now seen much of the cast in action, with fresh takes on fan favourites like Hagrid, Professor Dumbledore and Severus Snape.
Season two casting news has also broken ahead of the premiere of season one, meaning we now know who'll be playing Dobby the House Elf, Moaning Myrtle and Tom Riddle.
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Here are all the main Harry Potter cast announcements so far, side-by-side with the original movie actor.
Harry Potter
Daniel Radcliffe became a household name when he portrayed the Boy Who Lived between 2001- 2011, and now, it's time for young actor Dominic McLaughlin to step into his shoes.
Ron Weasley
Rupert Grint was the perfect Ron Weasley during the decade the films aired, but from a first look, it seems Alastair Stout will have no trouble embodying the character for the new series.
Hermione Granger
Emma Watson rose to fame through her role as Hermione in the films - no doubt thanks to her iconic line 'It's leviosaaaaa, not leviosaahhh'. Arabella Stanton will be playing Hermione in the series, and fans can't wait to see how she takes on the role of the bookish witch.
Hagrid
The late Robbie Coltrane captured hearts of the nation in his role as lovable groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, and stepping into those shoes for the series is funnyman Nick Frost, who fans have no doubt will fall into the character with ease.
Albus Dumbledore
For the first two films, Richard Harris portrayed the wise wizard until his death in 2002. The character was then taken over by Michael Gambon for the remaining six films, who sadly died in 2023.
Now, legendary actor John Lithgow will be playing Dumbledore in the series, much to fans' delight.
Professor Snape
Alan Rickman did a stunning job in his portrayal as Slytherin's leader, Severus Snape. And while he will never be forgotten for his role following his death in 2016, British actor Paapa Essiedu is set to step in for the series and will no doubt match the expectations that Rickman naturally set.
Professor McGonagall
The late Dame Maggie Smith set the bar high for Minerva McGonagall, portraying the head of Gryffindor House during all eight films. Ozark star Janet McTeer will be portraying McGonagall in the new series, with fans being keen to see how she'll take it on.
Neville Longbottom
Matthew Lewis' role as Neville gave us some pretty iconic moments over the decade the films ran - who could forget 'Oh my god, I've killed Harry Potter'!
Young actor Rory Wilmot, who recently appeared in Netflix's Unchosen, will be playing Neville in the series, and we have no doubt there'll be even more iconic moments to come.
Draco Malfoy
Though many fans can't imagine anyone but Tom Felton as the icy-haired bully that is Draco Malfoy, Lord of the Flies actor Lox Pratt will be stepping into the role - and I already have high hopes.
Lucius Malfoy
Jason Isaacs gave stellar performances as Draco's wicked father throughout the films - and now, it's time for Emma star Johnny Flynn to give the role a whirl.
My father will hear about this!
The Dursleys
Harry's neglectful adoptive parents, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, were played by Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw in the films, with his spoilt cousin Dudley being played by Harry Melling.
In the series, Daniel Rigby and Bel Powley will portray the parents, while newcomer Amos Kitson will play Dudley.
36? But last year, last year I had 37!!
Gilderoy Lockhart
Kenneth Branagh famously portrayed the fraudulent wizard in The Chamber of Secrets in 2002, and after it was announced that Nicholas Hoult would be playing him in the series, it was revealed shortly after that, after dropping out due to scheduling conflicts, Game of Thrones star Kit Harington will be taking on the role.
Molly Weasley
After an unforgettable stint as the Weasley mum from Dame Julie Walters, The IT Crowd star Katherine Parkinson is set to play Molly Weasley in the new series.
Arthur Weasley
Life of Pi and Hot Fuzz star Rafe Spall will play Molly's husband Arthur, who works at the Ministry of Magic, loves all things Muggle, and memorably asked Harry to explain the function of a rubber duck. Mark Williams played him in the films.
Rafe Spall will play Arthur Weasley (Warner Bros/Joe Maher/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)
Argus Filch
The grumpy Hogwarts caretaker was played by veteran actor David Bradley in all eight of the films, and the character is set to be reprised by Welsh comedian Paul Whitehouse.
Moaning Myrtle
Shirley Henderson famously played the 14-year-old bathroom-haunting spectre when she was 37. HBO have opted for a relative unknown this time around in Molly Hewitt-Richards, best known for ITV's Code of Silence.
Dobby the House Elf
Marvel and The Hunger Games star Toby Jones voiced Dobby in the films. At just 17, Enola Holmes and Doctor Who star Lenny Rush will bring a different take to the character.
Tom Riddle
The floppy-haired teenage version of Lord Voldemort was originally played by Christian Coulson in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
In the HBO series, Bring Her Back star Billy Barratt will play the villain.
Topics: Harry Potter, Entertainment
Emily Puckering