logo
'Harry Potter' series finds its Harry, Ron, and Hermoine

'Harry Potter' series finds its Harry, Ron, and Hermoine

Khaleej Times28-05-2025

HBO's Harry Potter TV series has officially found its Harry, Ron and Hermione.
Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout will step into the shoes of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to essay the roles of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
"Dear Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasley: We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," welcoming the new actors on board, the makers on Instagram wrote.
Over 30,000 actors auditioned for the lead roles since HBO launched an open casting call last fall, Variety reported.
Speaking about the series, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and executive producer and director Mark Mylod in a statement said, "...The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen... It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there."
The Harry Potter franchise launched Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to worldwide fame in the early 2000s, and the HBO series could very well do the same for McLaughlin, Stanton and Stout, who are largely newcomers.
McLaughlin acted in Grow, an upcoming comedy starring Nick Frost and Golda Rosheuvel, while Stanton starred as Matilda in Matilda: The Musical on the West End from 2023-2024. Harry Potter will be Stout's first major role.
The series also features John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
The bestselling books' author, JK Rowling, will act as an executive producer on the show, which HBO has said will be a "faithful adaptation" of her books.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

So Drama! Entertainment Launches New Entertainment App
So Drama! Entertainment Launches New Entertainment App

Zawya

timea day ago

  • Zawya

So Drama! Entertainment Launches New Entertainment App

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 6 June 2025 - So Drama! Entertainment in Singapore is excited to announce the new entertainment and lifestyle app, Kakee. Officially launched on 6 June, Kakee is a rebrand of CAMOKAKIS. This rebrand marks a significant transformation for the app, introducing a more engaging and innovative digital experience for users. Rewards and Entertainment at Your Fingertips Kakee is a proudly made-in-Singapore entertainment and lifestyle app with a difference: it rewards users for simply enjoying content on the app; the more they engage, the more they earn. A homophone of the word kaki – meaning "close friend" in local slang, and part of the phrase kaki lang, meaning "one of us" in Hokkien, Kakee is positioned as "Your Rewards & Entertainment Buddy'. It is designed to be the perfect companion, in lifestyle and entertainment – whether it be listening to music, watching a video, or playing a game – while also actively rewarding users with prizes, entry into special events and contests. Kakee brings together four core features that lets users engage, be entertained, and earn: Listen (refer to Appendix A) – Listen to DJs and 24/7 music streams from POWER 98 and 88.3JIA. Watch (refer to Appendix B and C) – Watch Kakee Originals, a collection of proudly made-in-Singapore serialised video content spanning lifestyle, travel, current affairs, mental wellness, and micro-dramas. The platform also offers Kakee On The Move — social-first short-form video content. Play – Play thrilling mobile games that keep the fingers moving and the brain juicing. Lobangs – The rewards hub on Kakee where users can win exciting prizes and take part in events and contests. Kakee also introduces Koins — a gamified rewards system that adds a fun and rewarding layer to everyday interactions. Every activity on the app, whether listening, watching or playing, helps users earn Koins that can be redeemed for exciting rewards. A Fully Digital Experience In line with broader digitalisation trends, Kakee, alongside radio stations POWER 98 and 88.3JIA, will fully embrace a digital-first future. Starting 6 June, Kakee will launch new 24/7 music streams from both stations, giving listeners a fresh, flexible way to enjoy their favourite tunes anytime, anywhere. FM broadcasts and their simulcasts on the Kakee app will remain available until October 2025, after which both will cease. Beyond that, the app's always-on music streams will continue, ensuring uninterrupted access to music in a mobile-first format. This shift aligns with the growing need for on-demand, mobile-first content, allowing users to enjoy their favourite music, games, and entertainment at their convenience. Kakee's interactivity, flexibility, and rewards-based ecosystem are tailored for modern audiences seeking a more connected experience. With these new features and an integrated rewards system, Kakee is poised to redefine entertainment, offering an engaging experience that turns everyday moments into rewards. As the app evolves, it remains a trusted companion, continuously innovating to stay meaningfully connected with its audience. Kakee App Launch and Launch Event CAMOKAKIS has officially refreshed to Kakee on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store on 6 June 2025. To mark the occasion, a public launch event will be held from 26 to 29 June, 11am to 10pm daily at Plaza Singapura. Free and open to all, the event will feature appearances by DJs from POWER 98 and 88.3JIA, live performances by the Music & Drama Company, as well as an immersive, on-ground experience of Kakee's four features – Listen, Watch, Play, and Lobangs – brought to life in a physical space. Adding to the excitement, the Kakee Konvoy – a vibrant truck with a mobile stage – will be stationed on-site, where the DJs will perform live and engage with the crowd through games and giveaways. Download Kakee on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store: Hashtag: #SodramaEntertainment #kakeesg #kakee #newapp #applaunch #entertainmentapp #mediaandentertainment #media #Singapore The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. So Drama! Entertainment So Drama! Entertainment aims to deliver awesome content on air, on screen and on stage. As a Singapore media and entertainment company, it has five established brands – Kakee, 88.3JIA, POWER 98, Music & Drama Company, and PIONEER – into which it injects fun and creativity, always. For more information, please visit So Drama! Entertainment

US judge schedules Lockerbie bombing suspect's trial for April 2026
US judge schedules Lockerbie bombing suspect's trial for April 2026

The National

timea day ago

  • The National

US judge schedules Lockerbie bombing suspect's trial for April 2026

The US judge overseeing the case of Lockerbie bombing suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Masud has set jury selection for April 20, 2026. Judge Dabney Friedrich acknowledged the ' complicated nature ' and 'voluminous discovery of evidence' in the case surrounding the 1988 attack that resulted in the explosion of a Pan Am flight and the deaths of 270 people in Scotland. Mr Masud, 73, limped into court and donned headphones to listen to the status conference in Arabic. He looked straight ahead for the whole proceedings, never glancing at victims' families, who took up several rows of court seats. He didn't appear to communicate with his court-appointed lawyer during proceedings. In 2023, Mr Masud pleaded not guilty in connection to one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in UK and US history. Only one other person, former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, has been convicted for the bombing. After his conviction in 2001, Megrahi spent seven years in a Scottish prison, but he was eventually released on compassionate grounds and died in Libya in 2012. In 2003, Libya claimed responsibility for the attack that brought down the plane. The US government filed charges against Mr Masud in 2020, but it took more than two years to extradite him from Libya. Mr Masud's health problems, lawyer changes and logistical problems have caused the trial planning to move at a snail's pace. A court transcript seen by The National show the methodical nature of the case. At least three depositions of foreign citizens will have to take place outside the US before the trial begins, according to the court transcript. Though specifics are not disclosed, ways of potentially dealing with Mr Masud's health problems are also discussed. His court-appointed lawyers have promised to provide updates about his medical condition to better prevent any delays. In court on Thursday, Judge Friedrich emphasised the need to stay on schedule. 'I want this to be aggressive,' she said, referring to trial planning dates and schedule preparations. Mr Masud's lawyer told the judge that although there is 'some disagreement' about the extent of his medical problems, both defence and prosecutors are on the same page about how to deal with it going forward. All 259 people on board the Pan Am flight died in the attack and 11 people were killed on the ground by falling debris on December 21, 1988, shortly after the plane took off from London bound for New York. Of the victims, 190 were US citizens, along with people from the UK and Argentina, India, South Africa and Spain, among others.

UAE: Why body image dissatisfaction peaks during summer
UAE: Why body image dissatisfaction peaks during summer

Khaleej Times

timea day ago

  • Khaleej Times

UAE: Why body image dissatisfaction peaks during summer

For the past two years, Sarah*, a 39-year-old executive assistant at a professional service firm, has been actively unlearning the harsh body image standards she once accepted. 'I grew up at the peak of thin culture in the 90s and 00s in the US,' she said. 'So there's not a fad diet I haven't tried to lose weight.' But as she got older, when after her extreme dieting patterns and preoccupation with her body led her to seek professional help, she came to realise there was nothing wrong with her body at all. She'd simply been chasing beauty trends. 'First thin was in, then a more curvy shape became popular, and now it's all about being fit and lean. I got sick of trying to force my body to meet impossible standards. So I went to therapy where I was diagnosed with body dysmorphia and I'm learning how to manage my body image dissatisfaction,' she added. By her account, Sarah was making real progress. But every summer, like clockwork, when her Instagram feed floods with influencers pushing 'summer body' makeovers, she feels herself slipping back into old habits; comparing, criticising, and questioning how far she's really come. 'It's not just on social media, and it's not just me,' explained the Dubai-resident. 'It's all my friends can talk about too. If they could just lose five kilos, they say, they'd finally feel good in their skin.' 'It's really hard not to internalise that. I know better, but being constantly bombarded with messages saying you have to look a certain way, it's hard not to feel like your worth still depends on being smaller, fitter, more toned.' Sarah's experience isn't unique. In fact, it echoes a broader pattern — one that researchers say intensifies with the seasons. A recent study by the Global Digital Wellbeing Program (Sync), part of the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture in Saudi Arabia, analysed over 12 million Twitter/X posts and identified clear seasonal patterns in body image dissatisfaction. Drawing on data from 1,534 users in the UK, USA, Australia, and New Zealand between 2020 and 2023, the study found that dissatisfaction consistently peaked during the summer months in both hemispheres. 'This work points to a predictable recurring seasonal rhythm in how people feel about their bodies, in a large part amplified by social media platforms,' said lead author Dr Justin Thomas. 'These findings might apply to the Gulf if we consider that for some residents, summer also equals vacation time. It might even be that for some Gulf residents, there is also a winter spike during the months of October-February, in that this is the beach season here as the temperature is more tolerable.' The study has been peer-reviewed and will be presented at this year's British Psychological Society annual conference (Cyber Psychology section). It was led by Dr Justin Thomas and co-authored by Alex Wells, Rana Samad, and Yasmin Al Jedawi, researchers at The Digital Wellbeing Program (Sync) at the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra); and Dr Dahlia Al Juboori (Johns Hopkins University), and Timothy Regan (Uniformed Services University). It represents one of the most comprehensive investigations into seasonal body image dissatisfaction to date. On how this type of research appies to the Gulf, Dr Thomas said: 'Further research is required to explore how seasonality might impact body image in climates like the UAE and in places where modesty in dress remains a well-respected social norm.' To that point, Sarah, a practising Muslim who wears the hijab, argued that no woman is immune to the pressure. Beauty ideals, she says, find other ways to reach you. 'Just because I [dress modestly] doesn't mean I'm not affected,' said Sarah. 'The pressure just shifts. It's less about showing skin and more about having the 'right' body underneath. You still feel like you're being measured against a standard, even if no one sees it.' 'There are other times of the year — like Eid or before the wedding season — that the algorithm pushes unhelpful weight loss content and it really affects me negatively.' According to Dr Al Juboori, senior research assistant at Johns Hopkins University and co-author of the study, Sarah's experience further contextualises the study's findings. Holidays that revolve around food or appearance-focused traditions are peak periods for heightened body image concerns. 'We observe a 'perfect storm' where seasonal shifts intensify exposure to idealised body images through media and peer interactions,' she explains. Because body image dissatisfaction is a known risk factor for eating disorders — the mental health condition with the highest mortality rate — it's crucial for clinicians to recognise these patterns and adjust their interventions accordingly. 'Clinicians in multicultural regions like the Gulf should consider the local cultural calendar and climate when designing interventions that are both emotionally resonant and contextually relevant,' she continued. 'Approaches such as media literacy training, cognitive restructuring, and guided discussions around upward social comparisons can help individuals build resilience against these pressures.' 'Social media literacy is especially crucial, as passive consumption of appearance-focused content has been shown to increase BID (body image disorder) via indirect comparison mechanisms.' The study concludes that public health campaigns targeting body image and eating disorders might be most effective if timed to mitigate these high-risk periods. 'Therapy helped me a lot,' Sarah said. 'It taught me to understand that healing isn't a straight line. I can work through the root of my body image issues and feel OK, but that doesn't mean I won't get triggered again — by ads, by the noise around how women 'should' look, especially at certain times of the year. At those times, I practise being more mindful and more critical of the content I consume. And I've learned some helpful tools to maintain resilience.' It's a work in progress, she admits, but one that's rooted in self-compassion, not perfection. 'I just want women, and men, to know there's no one 'right' way to look. I'm still learning that, even if I slip back into old patterns sometimes.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store