As the Harry Potter TV series has revealed more and more of its cast, the debate online has only grown. Some of the castings are already early favorites, others will have to prove themselves through performance, and at least one of the castings has caused death threats. But what we do know for sure is that millions of people are still seriously invested in the Harry Potter franchise.
Look at the Harry Potter movie and TV actors side by side in the photos below, and let us know your thoughts over on the ComicBook Forum!
Harry Potter
Warner Bros. – HBO
Daniel Radcliffe played Harry Potter in the Harry Potter movies, but Dominic McLaughlin will be taking over the role in the TV show. Fans won’t know McLaughlin, but needless to say, the young actor has big shoes to fill, as Radcliffe is iconic for his portrayal of Harry Potter. Radcliffe is currently starring in the comedy series The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins alongside Tracy Morgan.
Ron Weasley
Warner Bros. – HBO
Actor Rupert Grint made Harry’s best friend Ron Weasley famous in the films, but now the mantle is being passed to Alastair Stout, a young newcomer who very much looks the part of Ron, as you can see above. Stout’s “mind-blown” gesture at the end of the first trailer already has fans loving him; meanwhile, Rupert Grint landed another big role for himself, in M. Night Shyamalan’s supernatural horror series Servant on Apple TV.
Hermione Granger
Warner Bros. – HBO
Emma Watson became an icon of film, fashion, and activism, thanks to her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. Now, young stage actress Arabella Stanton is making her screen debut as Hermione in the HBO Harry Potter series. Emma Watson has largely stepped back from acting after playing Belle in Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast remake and Margaret March in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women in 2019.
Draco Malfoy
Warner Bros. – HBO
Harry Potter’s rival at Hogwarts, wealthy aristocrat Draco Malfoy, became one of the breakout characters of the Harry Potter films, thanks to actor Tom Felton. Now, young actor Lox Pratt (Lord of the Flies) will be following in Felton’s footsteps, coming of age as the face that Potter fans love to hate.
Albus Dumbledore
A generation of young Harry Potter fans got their first taste of real-life tragedy when original Dumbledore actor Richard Harris passed away after the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Acclaimed English actor Michael Gambon stepped in to finish the Potter film series as Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore, with Jude Law stepping in to play a younger Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts films (if you want to count them). 3rd Rock From the Sun and Dexter actor Jon Lithgow is now playing Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV series, a casting that most fans seem fine with.
Minerva McGonagall
Warner Bros. – HBO
The Head of Gryffindor House, scholar of the art of Transfiguration, and Dumbledore’s most trusted lieutenant, Professor McGonagall, is one of the key supporting characters in Harry Potter. The late, great Maggie Smith played McGonagall in the films, but Jessica Jones and Ozark star Janet McTeer is taking over the role for the TV series.
Severus Snape
Warner Bros. – HBO
Now we get to the dark part: controversy and bigotry. Alan Rickman stole every scene of the Harry Potter movies that he was in as Snape, and for many fans, Rickman’s performance defines the curmudgeonly Potions Master more than J.K. Rowling’s original writings. Recasting Snape has arguably been the biggest challenge for this Harry Potter reboot, and the showrunners have chosen to go in a bold new direction with actor Paapa Essiedu (Black Mirror, The Lazarus Project).
Like Rickman, Essiedu comes from a strong foundation as a veteran UK stage actor, but all that many critics can see is the change in race, going so far as to threaten Essiedu about it. Some are concerned about how the recasting will play when the deeper story of Snape’s life and role in the Harry Potter saga is revealed, but for now, this is one character who will be under intense scrutiny as fans watch the series.
Rubeus Hagrid
Warner Bros. – HBO
Late actor Robbie Coltrane was the lovable teddy bear of a giant for an entire generation of Harry Potter movie fans. Now Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) will be trying to do the same with his take on Hagrid, Harry Potter’s friend and chaperone, as the young boy first enters the Wizarding World.
Uncle Vernon & Aunt Petunia Dursley
Warner Bros. – HBO
Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw made you hate Harry’s cruel Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon for just about all of the films in the series. Daniel Rigby (Black Mirror) and Bel Powley (The Morning Show) will now have to do the same in longer-form recurring roles. It won’t be easy, as the film versions of the Dursleys became a classic comedic duo.
Dudley Dursley
Warner Bros. – HBO
Harry’s spoiled cousin is featured in the opening to almost every Potter novel, often bullying Harry or just delighting in his displeasure. Before Harry gets to the halls of Hogwarts, he always has to go through Dudley. Harry Melling was a lovable little scamp in the films; now, young actor Amos Kitson will play the unholy offspring of Vernon and Petunia.
HBO’s Harry Potter TV series will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Christmas Day (December 25th). Let us know what you think about it over on the ComicBook Forum! And stay tuned for this to get updated as more characters are revealed for the show!
