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STV News
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- STV News
What do we know about HBO's new Harry Potter series?
Harry Potter will return to the screen as part of a new HBO television series, with a young Scottish actor cast to play Harry. The streaming giant announced on Tuesday that Dominic McLaughlin will play the protagonist Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton will be Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout will portray Ron Weasley. It comes after major actors such as John Lithgow and Nick Frost were cast for the show which begins production this summer. Potterheads will get to see a new side of the wizarding world with the show to focus on adapting the books of author and executive producer JK Rowling. Getty Images Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe when they were cast in the Harry Potter Films in 2000. The Harry Potter franchise has already been made into eight blockbuster movies, with the final film hitting the big screen in 2011. Since then, spinoff movies under the Fantastic Beasts franchise have been made starring Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law. But HBO's new series promises to bring new faces to the already established names. Dominic McLaughlin will take the lead role as Harry Potter in the new series. The Scottish actor has appeared in productions of William Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh. He performed alongside three-time Oscar-nominated actor Ralph Fiennes, who played Voldemort in the Potter movies. Production company SC Films confirmed that Dominic recently filmed the Sky Originals family comedy film Grow opposite Nick Frost. Jessica Howes/Ruth Crafer/Phil Sharp John Lithgow (left) to play Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu (centre) to play Snape and Luke Thallon (right) to play Quirrell. He is also to appear in the upcoming BBC action adventure series Gifted, which saw more than 3,000 Scottish children apply to be on the show. The Performance Academy Scotland confirmed McLaughlin spent a number of years with them. They said the news was 'magical'. A spokesperson said: 'We are not sure that this will ever feel real but we said from the start that Dominic was the perfect Harry and we are thrilled for everyone else to see this soon too. 'Dominic, we will forever be proud of you. We have had an incredible journey with you these last five years at TPA and can't wait for what's next on this journey. 'We are extremely proud to represent you and can't wait to go on this wizarding journey together.' Arabella Stanton will be Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout will portray Ron Weasley after a casting call in September saw around 32,000 children audition for the lead roles. HBO reviewed more than 1,000 tapes per day after it was previously stipulated that the three young child actors must be residents of the UK or Ireland, and aged between nine and 11 on April 2025. Other actors announced for the show include John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall. Luke Thallon will play the first book's main antagonist Quirinus Quirrell, and Welsh comedian and actor Paul Whitehouse as Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch. The series will focus on adapting Rowling's books for TV, with each series to follow the arc of the seven novels. Fans can expect season one to be centred around the events of the Philosopher's Stone, in which Harry and co first arrive at Hogwarts. They are faced with navigating a series of dangerous tasks with Harry eventually facing Voldemort for the first time on screen in the form of Hogwarts teacher Quirinus Quirrell. iStock Dragon breathing fire at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida. Reports suggest the series will then follow chronologically through Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and finally the Deathly Hallows. In 2023, however, Warner Bros. Discovery said the stories from each of the books will become 'a decade-long series', suggesting it could last longer than seven seasons. JK Rowling will serve as executive producer on the show, but it is not clear if any of the series will be filmed in Scotland. Rowling maintains ownership over key aspects of Harry Potter intellectual property – with the books, films, video games and theatrical shows estimated to be worth £20bn. She said all three young actors cast to play Harry, Ron and Hermione were 'wonderful' and that she 'couldn't be happier' they will be involved. Iconic locations such as the Glenfinnan Viaduct appeared in the films, with Rowling taking inspiration for places in the books from sites in Edinburgh, Glen Coe and Fort William. iStock Glenfinnan Railway Viaduct became famous around the world as the route of the Hogwarts Express. Edinburgh, where Rowling wrote the early stages of the books, has a number of tourist spots for Potter fans to visit dotted around the city. The series is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner, while Mark Mylod will executive-produce and direct multiple episodes of the series. Upon announcing the casting for Harry, Ron and Hermione, they 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.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The 6 truly weird showbiz moments we must discuss this week
Who would have thought a dashcam video could cause so much trouble? For the drama of the showbiz week got off to a racing start on Monday, thanks to Brooklyn Beckham, his wife Nicola Peltz and their ongoing feud with his ma and pa, Posh and Becks. It all started when the nepobabies posted a very 'pointed' video of themselves enjoying a loved-up motorbike ride through LA last weekend - and by the start of this week it was all anyone could talk about on social media. The video and its loved up soundtrack, was seen by many as a clear message from chef/photographer/filmmaker/influencer/nepobrat Brooklyn to his long-suffering mum and dad Victoria and David Beckham. That message was clear: Thanks for the lavish lifestyle, probable £125million inheritance and hooking me up for jobs with all your high-profile I'm Team Peltz. Brooklyn then went and ramped things up a gear by adding a super-soppy caption addressed to his wife, in which he cooed - **WARNING: SICK BAG REQUIRED** - 'I always choose you, baby." Insiders on one side of the Posh and Becks V Peltz alleged feud, claimed it was a veiled dig at his parents; insiders on the other, claimed it was a completely innocent declaration of love which Brooklyn just happened to share with his 16.3m followers on a day when his family fallout just happened to be making global headlines. Ahem. I'll say one thing for Brooklyn: His dad might be Goldenballs, but Brooklyn's clearly got balls of steel to go so public. Talking of child stars….Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout may not be household names yet….But they soon will be. Because these three lucky, lucky British kids have just won the Hollywood lottery. Yes, they've been selected from an open casting call of 30,000 children to be - wait for it - the new Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. That's right: one day, these three were going to school and doing the odd bit of acting at a weekend drama club and then - poof! just like magic - the three 9-11-year-olds had landed new roles in the upcoming big-budget HBO TV series and were on the Hogwarts Express straight to a life of fame, riches and A-List perks. Naturally, my first thought was….' Oh my gosh, am I seriously jealous of a bunch of nine-to-11-year-olds?' (Yes, Yes I am). And then, more importantly, what exactly does this mean for Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and co? They've been the faces of those iconic characters for 25 years and feature on untold billions of bits of merchandising. So how's it going to feel for them when a whole new generation of fans talks about the half-blood prince and doesn't picture Radcliffe at all? Their replacements weren't even born when the last Potter movie was released in 2011. And when the spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them hit screens in 2016, they were only toddlers at best. That's more of a mindboggler than a pint of polyjuice. All that brings me to two very disturbing realisations: There's a packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans at the back of my cupboard which is older than the new Harry; This guy (below) is no longer the only one feeling a bit old hat…. You can't mention JK Rowling without plunging headfirst into the Trans rights row. But the pro-trans rights lobby found itself a very unlikely ally this week: Mr Jeremy Clarkson. For in the latest episode of Clarkson's Farm, farmer Kaleb Cooper was seen explaining some interesting news to the former Top Gear host: Endgame, his prize bull, was gay and one of the piglets was possibly trans. Quite how Kaleb knew this, is about as clear as mud (that the piglet was playing in). But how lovely that someone so, um, ' Clarkson-like ' as Clarkson has such an inclusive farmyard. I mean, who would have thought? A gay bull, some trans pigs and a morbidly-obese donkey all under one roof? Oh, hang on, my mistake. Diddly Squat is home to a giant ass. But he doesn't live in the barn. Nadia Sawalha might have been a bit rash when she decided to livestream on Thursday. Because if there's one thing you probably shouldn't do when your show's about to implode….Is throw petrol on the fire (and blow yourself up along with it). But Loose Women star Nadia bravely/stupidly wasn't pulling any punches when she let rip about the savage ITV daytime cuts in a new social media video she posted this week. Speaking alongside her producer husband Mark Adderley, the former Mirror columnist started by tearfully blasting the 'hundreds' of 'brutal' redundancies. 'I cannot tell you how upsetting it was to see people walking around numb with shock and fear about what they are going to do,' she said. 'It's brutal.' Don't get me wrong, it's admirable Nadia's speaking out. But when Loose Women's about to turn into a bigger bloodbath than your average soap wedding, one wonders if it was the wisest thing to do. And yet, Nadia continued. And amazingly, she even decided to save HR the trouble of digging out her contract, to check her employment terms. 'We are all freelance,' she told fans. 'I could be let go tomorrow, in five years, you don't know because we're not employees.' I don't know what you're thinking Nadia, but with the way you're going, I figured I best send you this snazzy t-shirt (inset, above). Now you can have a target on your front….to match the one you've just put on your back. Someone's looking on top form! Yes, Gazza is making a comeback after embarking on a new fitness regime - and looks healthier than ever. The footie ace, 58, has a newfound enthusiasm for cycling, fishing, tennis, and - surprise, surprise - penning books. For the star has just announced he's going to be doing his first tell-all autobiography in 20 years, as he finally feels ready to show people the 'real' him. It's good news for the fans. But there's one person the former Lion's a little worried to think will be reading it: Mamma Gazza. 'There's laughs, tears, madness – and probably a few things I'll regret saying once me mam reads it,' he admitted. Never mind, Mrs Gascoigne - I'm sure whatever Paul has to share, it won't be the most embarrassing thing he's ever put you through. No, that ship sailed 35 years ago….Not with his famous tears on the pitch at Italia 90. But with our infamous tears over his pitch…on THAT 1990 single. 'Fog On The Tyne, is all mine, all mine,' he 'sang'. So my question is: if that was true, why didn't he just do us all a favour and keep it to himself? As family traditions go….I don't hate it. For Rob Lowe is no stranger to an Instagram 'thirst trap'* and it seems he's now got his lookalike son Johnny, 29, involved. The pair, who star together in Netflix's comedy Unstable, shared this snap of them showing off their abs in a post-workout snap this week. And despite being 61, I've got to say…. Rob's still looking hotter than St Elmo's Fire. The West Wing star captioned the shot: 'Lowe family tradition: self indulgent shirtless gym photos.' It seems not everyone is buying into the tradition though. Rob's other son Matthew, 32, made a very cheeky quip, saying: 'Why does it look like you photoshopped your head on [Johnny]'? Ouch. I'm guessing that's what you call a Lowe blow? Aww, just look at that happy face! And those puppy dog eyes! He's such a good, good boy, isn't he?... And - yes - the dog's cute too. (Sorry, couldn't resist). Yes, the lovely Ben Fogle is proving an all-round Mr Nice Guy again after signing up as the new patron of WECare. The charity is run by former Daily Mirror Animal Heroes winner Dr Janey Lowes, and has helped 25,000 Sri Lankan street dogs, be it through with neutering and vaccination programmes aor treating injuries. Presumably Ben's role as patron includes many official duties, but if cuddling the patients is one of them... these pups are some lucky sons of a you-know-wotsits.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
HBO's ‘Harry Potter' Series Finds Its Harry, Ron and Hermione
HBO's Harry Potter TV series has found its Harry, Ron and Hermione. The trio of Hogwarts freshmen are newcomers to Hollywood. This time, Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton is Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout is the new Ron Weasley. In the films, those roles were played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, respectively. There were eight Harry Potter films and a series of three Fantastic Beasts movies — a spinoff of the original IP. Author J.K. Rowling wrote seven Harry Potter books; the eighth book in the series was split into two movies. More from The Hollywood Reporter Taina Elg, Actress in 'Les Girls' and 'The 39 Steps,' Dies at 95 'Awards Chatter' Pod: Sissy Spacek on Her Collab 'Die My Love,' the 'New Hollywood' of the '70s and the Penises in 'Dying for Sex' Paris Gaming Studio Amplitude, Newly Independent From Sega, Raises $13.5 Million '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,' showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner and executive producer and director (of multiple episodes) Mark Mylod said in a joint statement. '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.' HBO very publicly hosted an open casting call to find this next installment's new kids. Previously-announced cast can be found here. The Harry Potter series, not (yet?) officially titled 'Harry Potter,' to be clear, will be 'a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter books,' HBO says. The series will stream on HBO Max (fka Max, ffka HBO Max — it's a whole thing). The HBO series is produced in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. It is executive produced by Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films. Harry Potter the series will begin production this summer for a 2026 rollout. See the new kids below; you can probably figure out who is who. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Time of India
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Harry Potter TV series reveals new Harry, Ron, and Hermione — Meet the fresh-faced trio!
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Cast : Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Director : David Yates Producer : David Barron The Harry Potter universe is officially returning to the screen — and this time with an all-new cast! HBO has unveiled the three newcomers who will lead its upcoming Harry Potter TV series as the beloved Hogwarts trio. Dominic McLaughlin has been cast as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout takes on the role of Ron Weasley. In the iconic films, these roles were immortalized by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint across eight blockbuster movies. 'We are pleased to inform you…' HBO announced the casting on its official Instagram handle, sharing a photo of the fresh trio alongside a Hogwarts-style note, '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. Please welcome Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley to the HBO Original Series Harry Potter.' A faithful retelling for a new generation The series aims to be a faithful, season-by-season adaptation of J.K. Rowling's original seven-book saga, exploring the magical world in greater depth than the films. Rowling is involved as an executive producer, ensuring the series remains true to her vision. Supporting cast The main trio will be joined by an impressive supporting lineup: John Lithgow as the wise and enigmatic Albus Dumbledore Janet McTeer as the stern yet kind Minerva McGonagall Paapa Essiedu as the complicated Severus Snape Nick Frost as the lovable half-giant Hagrid Luke Thallon as the nervous Professor Quirrell Paul Whitehouse as the cranky caretaker Argus Filch Anticipation levels are high Interesting Harry Potter facts you should know by now Following eight Harry Potter films and three Fantastic Beasts spinoffs, this marks the franchise's first major return to serialized storytelling. Fans around the world are eager to see how the new young cast steps into the iconic roles.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harry, Hermione and Ron lead actors announced for HBO's 'Harry Potter' TV reboot; meet them and the rest of cast so far
HBO's Harry Potter TV series has officially found its golden trio. '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," showrunner Francesca Gardiner and executive producer and director Mark Mylod said in a statement on Tuesday. "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." Dominic McLaughlin will be playing the Boy Wizard himself, Harry Potter, while Arabella Stanton has been cast as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley. The show is set to premiere in 2027 and will be based on the original story, but with major plot changes, and each season will focus on one of the seven books in the internationally popular literary series. In December, Variety reported that Discovery global streaming chief JB Perrette said the show is expected to be a 10-year project. That same month, Max announced on Instagram that production on the show would begin this summer at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England, where the original film franchise was filmed from 2000 to 2010. Here's what we know so far about the cast. Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. The character has previously been played by Michael Gambon and Richard Harris in the Harry Potter franchise and Jude Law and Toby Regbo in the Fantastic Beasts series. 'Well, it came as a total surprise to me,' Lithgow told ScreenRant in February. 'I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That's why it's been such a hard decision. I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes.' The British actor has been cast as Severus Snape, the potions professor at Hogwarts. Alan Rickman played Snape in all eight Harry Potter films. Essiedu earned several nominations for his role in the BBC's I May Destroy You and co-starred with Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. McTeer will play Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House and the deputy headmistress under Dumbledore. Actress Maggie Smith played McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies, while Fiona Glascott played her in Fantastic Beasts. The English actress has won multiple theater, film and TV awards and nominations, and will also star in the upcoming Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning with Tom Cruise. Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant who works as the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Robbie Coltrane originated the character in the Harry Potter movies. The comedian is most well-known for his involvement in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, which includes Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and World's End. Whitehouse will play Argus Filch, the caretaker at Hogwarts. He was portrayed by David Bradley in every Harry Potter film. While Filch did not appear in the last two Harry Potter movies, the character does appear in every single book. The British actor was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy show, The Fast Show, which ran from 1994 to 2014. The British stage actor will play Quirinus Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the first book and movie, which means Thallon will only be in the first season of the show. Ian Hart played Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Thallon has played the lead for multiple major stage productions in London. For now, no original cast members or producers from the movie series have been announced to be part of the upcoming show. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, told ComicBook in June 2023 that he supported the new show but was not interested in being involved. 'I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way," he said. "But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world, and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it.' Other actors involved in the film series — Rickman, Coltrane, Gambon and Smith — have since died. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that he and HBO and Max executives Casey Bloys and Channing Dungey have met with author J.K. Rowling about the reboot. 'We spent some real time with J.K. and her team,' Zaslav said during a Warner Bros. company call in December. 'Both sides are thrilled to be re-igniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn't be more excited about what's ahead.' In a Warner Bros. press release in 2023, Rowling said, 'Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation, which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series.' Bloys told IndieWire in November 2024 that Rowling has 'been fairly involved in the process of selecting the writer and director' of the TV show and will 'have opinions on casting.' On the April 30 episode of The Town Podcast, which covers Hollywood news, Bloys defended HBO's decision to continue working with Rowling on the show after some fans raised concerns over her political beliefs. "The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us," Bloys said. "We've been in business for 25 years. We already have a show on HBO from her called 'C.B. Strike' that we do with the BBC. It's pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She's entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter." Fan concerns over Rowling's political beliefs have popped up multiple times since the new series was announced. At the end of April, Essiedu, who was cast as Snape, along with Eddie Redmayne, who starred in Fantastic Beasts, and Katie Leung, who was in the original Harry Potter films, signed an open letter calling on the U.K.'s entertainment industry to protect the transgender community. While Rowling condemned the petition on X, she later responded directly to speculation she would fire Essiedu from the new series, writing, "I don't have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn't exercise it if I did. I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine."
