What does being a child star look like in 2025? The new Harry Potter stars about to find out
HBO has announced a new generation of Hogwarts students for its upcoming Harry Potter television series, casting Dominic McLaughlin as the bespectacled protagonist alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
The trio's appointment has been eagerly anticipated by fans since the television series was announced in 2023.
However, unlike when Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson – who starred in the 2001-to-2010 film adaptions – were starting out, the new child stars will have to navigate their roles in a world in thrall to social media.
HBO turned off Instagram comments on the casting announcement, but vitriolic and racist remarks have already spread on Reddit and TikTok.
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So what do we know about the main trio and their prior film roles? And what does being a child star look like in 2025?
Who are the three leads?
Arabella Stanton is an 11-year-old British actress who will play the role of Hermione Granger, the brilliant and preciously talented young witch.
Stanton is best known for her role as Matilda Wormwood in Matilda the Musical in London's West End in 2023 and 2024. She has also starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber's play Starlight Express.
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