JK Rowling's eight-word response to Harry Potter child stars casting in reboot
HBO Max's Harry Potter reboot has cast Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout as the title character, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley respectively
Author has addressed the casting of three actors in the roles of the title character, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the TV reboot of Harry Potter. It comes after the news about the HBO series was shared yesterday.
It was revealed that Dominic McLaughlin will portray Harry Potter in the show, with Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout cast as Hermione and Ron respectively. There had been an open casting call for actors aged between 9 and 11.
Following the news, author Rowling, 59 - who is an executive producer on the upcoming series - shared her thoughts on the casting in a post on X last night. She was responding to a fan who shared support for the three cast members.
Tagging the author and other accounts, they wrote: "Please tell Dominic, Arabella and Alistair that they are already loved by the fandom and we can't wait to see the show! We wish them all the best and that they have a magic time."
Rowling described cast members Dominic, Arabella and Alastair as "wonderful" in her response to the post. Replying to the fan's message on the platform, she shared yesterday: "All three are wonderful. I couldn't be happier."
Dominic, Arabella and Alastair follow in the footsteps of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who previously played literary characters Harry, Hermione and Ron on-screen. The trio appeared in the Harry Potter film series, which ran for eight films from 2001 to 2011.
The praise of the new cast by Rowling comes two months after she was thought to have made a dig at Radcliffe, Watson and Grint in a post. Responding to a question that asked which actor instantly ruins a movie, Rowling - who has disagreed with some former Harry Potter stars over her views on the transgender community in recent years - said: "Three guesses. Sorry, but that was irresistible." She then used laughing emojis.
The upcoming TV series has been described as a "faithful adaptation" of her book series. It's been suggested that the show's cast will "lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years".
There's been speculation over stars from the film series potentially making cameos in the show since it was announced. Radcliffe, however, previously dismissed the prospect whilst speaking to ComicBook.com back in 2023.
Radcliffe said: "My understanding is that they're trying to very much start fresh and I'm sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere. [...] I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I'm very excited to have that torch passed."
Following the latest casting news, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and fellow executive producer Mark Mylod said: "After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron. The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen."
They added in a statement shared alongside the casting announcement: "We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there."
It was previously revealed that John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu and Nick Frost will be series regulars, with them playing Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape and Rubeus Hagrid respectively. Other cast members include Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, whilst Paul Whitehouse will appear as Argus Filch in the upcoming show.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Warner Bros Discovery shareholders reject 2024 executive pay
June 3 (Reuters) - A majority of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O), opens new tab shareholders voted against the 2024 pay packages of CEO David Zaslav and other top executives at the media conglomerate's annual stockholder meeting, a Tuesday regulatory filing showed. The board of directors had recommended shareholders to vote in favor of the 2024 executive compensation; however, more than 59% of them rejected the proposal on a non-binding basis. For 2024, Zaslav's total compensation rose 4% from the prior year to $51.9 million. Warner Bros Discovery has been struggling to stem declines in its cable TV business amid widespread cord-cutting, focusing instead on its faster-growing streaming and studios divisions. Last month, it missed first-quarter revenue estimates and posted a larger-than-expected loss. The company is also moving towards a potential breakup, CNBC reported last month. WBD had laid the groundwork for a possible sale or spinoff of its declining cable TV assets last December by announcing a separation from its streaming and studio operations. Powered by a strong content slate, including the third season of HBO's "The White Lotus" and the medical drama series "The Pitt", WBD added 5.3 million streaming subscribers in the January-March quarter, beating market expectations, but still far off from streaming industry leader Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab. The company last month also walked back on the branding of its streaming service, Max, bringing back the HBO name it dropped two years ago.
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Emma Watson's dad on why new Harry Potter child stars' parents should be 'scared
Emma Watson's father, Chris, has shared stark words about the pressures of childhood fame as HBO announces the leads of the Harry Potter TV remake. The reboot of the franchise (this time in TV format) is on everyone's lips after a slew of casting announcements culminated in the literary Golden Trio. Formerly played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma over the course of eight movies in the 2000s, the fresh cast will star Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione, and Alastair Stout as Ron. The three child actors – who beat out 30,000 other children for the coveted spots – have been flung into a whole new level of stardom last experienced by Emma, Rupert and Daniel, who are all now in their 30s. In an era of social media, and with more eyes than ever on the franchise and how this controversial remake will fare, Chris reflected on how tough it was to handle the pressure during Emma's rise to fame. He told Times Radio: 'As a parent, you have to be scared. This can be a very difficult thing for a parent and child to handle, or not. While there are many upsides, nothing is perfect. 'If [parents of the new Harry Potter cast] want to talk to someone who's been through this extraordinary experience, I would be more than happy to talk to them.'Emma Watson's father, Chris Watson, knew his daughter was a star when she came on stage in a school musical. — Times Radio (@TimesRadio) May 30, 2025 'You have to recognise there are going to be a whole load of downsides, some of them you couldn't have imagined. He added that 'normal life continued as far as possible' for a way to protect her and 'it certainly helped that I don't actually watch movies. It's not a big thing in the house, and so it was easier for us to keep her feet on the ground.' Before concluding: 'If [parents of the new Harry Potter cast] want to talk to someone who's been through this extraordinary experience, I would be more than happy to talk to them.' It's no secret that becoming the most recognised young actors in the world took its toll on the original three actors with the Little Women star previously speaking about her desire to exit the franchise halfway through. During one interview, she recalled the experience as 'very foggy'. Meanwhile, Daniel has been candid about his journey with sobriety after he started drinking during the filming of the movies. The actors who have signed up for the HBO series – including Nick Frost as Hagrid, John Lithgow as Dumbledore and Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape – are already under immense scrutiny. I'm truly concerned about what will happen to the new Harry, Ron, and Hermione, plucked from childhood and obscurity and flung into stardom. Not only will this trio of unknown actors star in what will surely become one of the most heavily scrutinised TV shows this decade, but all under the creative jurisdiction of someone who has, in my view, opposed the rights of a marginalised community. We have already seen the dangers this level of fame can create, even before the author of the series descended into Twitter troll status There are all the elements for disaster waiting to happen – and while, for me, schadenfreude is tempting given Rowling's behaviour – I'm worried that these innocent children will be the collateral damage. Not least because the author behind Harry Potter, JK Rowling, has been slammed by many for her critical views of the transgender community, prompting calls to boycott the show. In an interview with The Times, Lithgow said: 'I thought, why is this a factor at all? I wonder how JK Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I'll meet her and I'm curious to talk to her.' Meanwhile, Nick is remaining optimistic as he spoke about his excitement to step into the role in a recent chat. 'I've gone in to do head sculpts and have your hand stand and stuff, and they say, 'Oh, have a look at this.' And you're like, 'Wow. That's the coolest thing.' 'I love films. I've loved cinema my whole life, so to be part of that universe now and that they're showing me, like, a dancing mushroom, it's like, 'That is so cool!' he said. More Trending After the announcement of Harry, Ron and Hermione's casting, Rowling tweeted: 'All three are wonderful. I couldn't be happier.' In a statement, executive producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod said: 'After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron. 'The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen. 'We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: British acting legend new frontrunner to play Voldemort after Harry Potter casting updates MORE: Harry Potter fans annoyed about casting detail no one's got right in 25 years MORE: Here's why fans think Arabella Stanton as new Hermione is 'perfect casting'
NBC News
7 hours ago
- NBC News
Mariska Hargitay is on a quest to reclaim her family story in 'My Mom Jayne' trailer
Mariska Hargitay has helped people share their stories for years on TV and through her foundation, and now, she wants to share hers. The trailer for 'My Mom Jayne,' the 'Law & Order: SVU' star's documentary about her late mother, Jayne Mansfield, aired exclusively June 3 on "TODAY." The HBO film, which premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival, is also the first project under Hargitay's newly launched production company, Mighty Entertainment. Hargitay narrates the trailer, which opens with black-and-white footage of Mansfield before jumping to video of Hargitay opening boxes and sorting through memorabilia about her mom. 'I've spent my whole life distancing myself from my mother, Jayne Mansfield, the sex symbol,' she says, as racy images of Mansfield pop up on screen. Old news clips and photos document the Hollywood bombshell's rise to fame. 'I use my pinup-type publicity to get my foot in the door,' Mansfield says in one of the videos. As an image of Olivia Benson — Hargitay's famous 'SVU' character — appears, the Emmy winner explains that her mother's path to stardom made her want to carve a much different career for herself in the entertainment industry. 'But I want to understand her now, ' Hargitay says. She then reflects on losing her parents, saying she has no memories of her mom, who died in a car accident in 1967 when Hargitay was 3 years old. Hargitay and two of her brothers, Zoltan and Mickey Jr., were in the car at the time of the accident. Their father, Hungarian bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, raised them and died in 2006. Hargitay says she's never talked to her siblings, including the oldest — Jayne Marie, whom Mansfield had with her high school boyfriend turned husband at 17 — about their experiences with their mom. The trailer shows Hargitay, who also serves as director of the film, respectively settling her brothers and sister in for interviews. 'Anything you ask, you know I'm there for you,' Mickey Jr. says. 'You have all these memories, and I'm envious of that,' Hargitay expresses in another scene to Jayne Marie, who was 16 when Mansfield died. 'In the beginning, I had her to myself,' Jayne Marie says over archival video footage of her with her mom. 'She'd take me everywhere.' Mansfield, who spoke to the press often and especially loved her fans, took her kids almost everywhere she went on the road. 'When you're a kid, you don't know anything else,' Mickey Jr. says. 'This is life.' Zoltan says in the trailer that their mother's playful on-camera persona, which included a put-on, breathy voice, was 'actually a character.' 'The public pays to see me a certain way,' Mansfield says in an old clip. 'I looked the other way because I knew she was really smart,' Mickey Jr. says of his mom, who was fluent in multiple languages and played violin and piano. 'At home, she was just Jayne,' Jayne Marie says. 'I've heard things that are really ugly,' Hargitay says. 'I don't know that I want to know those ugly things,' says Tony Cimber, Hargitay's half brother, whom Mansfield had with ex-husband and director Matt Cimber. Hargitay revealed publicly for the first time in a May 2025 interview with Vanity Fair that her biological father isn't Mickey Hargitay, but Italian singer Nelson Sardelli. The topic also appears to be touched upon near the end of the trailer. 'I pulled out this picture, couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like the floor fell out from underneath me,' Hargitay says. 'Why didn't he tell me?' Hargitay asks brother Zoltan. She told Vanity Fair she once confronted their father about Sardelli but said he denied the claim, and she never mentioned Sardelli to him again. That's just one layer to the documentary's narrative, which has a singular, larger focus for Hargitay. 'Reclaiming our family story — that is what this is about for me,' Hargitay says over clips of her siblings coming together in a garage full of their mother's memories, 'because she's a part of me.' 'I want to know her as Jayne — my mom, Jayne,' she says, as the video fades to black showing footage of Mansfield smiling and playing the piano.
