Latest news with #McGonagall
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."
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."
Miami Herald
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Russia Seeks to Ban Game Of Thrones, Harry Potter Over ‘Childfree Ideology'
Russia is going after TV series Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, and the Harry Potter franchise in an effort to purge what it claims is the promotion of "childfree ideology." The development comes months after Russia passed a bill banning what state-run news wires describe as the "public propaganda of the ideas of voluntarily choosing not to have children." It comes as Russia grapples with a dwindling birth rate and as President Vladimir Putin scrambles to encourage women to have children. For decades Russia has been experiencing a plunging birth rate and population decline, and this appears to have worsened amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with high casualty rates and men fleeing the country to avoid being conscripted to fight. It is estimated that Russia's population will fall to about 132 million in the next two decades. The United Nations has predicted that in a worst-case scenario, by the start of the next century, Russia's population could almost halve to 83 million, Newsweek previously reported. On September 1, an order by Russia's telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor will come into effect which will ban "childfree ideology", local media reported. The "Parliamentary Newspaper", the official weekly publication of Russia's Federal Assembly, reported that films with so-called childfree propaganda "will not receive distribution certificates." "Administrators of digital platforms, including social networks and online cinemas, must promptly remove illegal content," it said. "The dissemination of the ideology of conscious refusal to have children in the media, the Internet, films and advertising is prohibited in Russia." According to the publication, content that will be banned will include information that encourages or justifies the refusal to have children, which creates a positive attitude towards it; informs [viewers] about the advantages of refusing to have children over having children or form distorted ideas about their social equivalence; demonstrates a negative image of pregnancy, motherhood, fatherhood, or create a positive attitude towards childlessness, which can motivate people to refuse to have children. Possible contenders could include Sex and the City, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Harry Potter. "Even in the harmless Harry Potter saga, as it seems to us, one can find a hint of childfree [ideology]: Professor McGonagall did not have children. However, it is unknown whether this was a conscious choice or something did not work out," the publication said. A leading Russian demographer said last month that Russia's birth rate has fallen to a historic low, reaching levels not seen since the late 18th to early 19th century. Russian authorities have restricted access to abortions and contraception and have even offered pregnant women payouts in a bid to encourage the population to have children. In 2023, Valery Seleznyov, a member of the Russian State Duma, proposed releasing women convicted of minor charges from prisons so they can conceive. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, a member of the Russia's ruling United Russia party, said when the bill passed in September 2024: "Without children, there will be no country." The press service of the United Russia party said in September 2024: "The bill banning propaganda of childfree [ideology] was submitted to the State Duma." Elvira Aitkulova, one of the authors of the bill and member of the State Duma Committee on education, previously said that the bill is "about the propaganda of childfree ideology, but not about the lifestyle and choices of each individual." Individuals who violate the ban face fines of up to 400,000 rubles (about $5,000), while officials could be fined up to 800,000 rubles (about $10,000). Companies could be slapped with fines of up to 5 million rubles (about $62,300). Related Articles Putin's Trump Card in UkraineRussia Detains US Ally's Ship in NATO LakeRussian TV Mocks Trump's Peace Plan: 'Which One of Them?'Romanian Exit Polls Show Clear Winner as Rival Declares Victory 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who's been cast so far in HBO's 'Harry Potter' TV reboot?
HBO has announced some of the first castings for the reboot of the Harry Potter TV series, which is set to premiere in 2027. The show 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. In an April 14 press release, Warner Bros. confirmed the names of several actors who had been cast in major roles on the show: 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. As of now, the next generation's 'golden trio' — Harry, Ron and Hermione — have not yet been cast. The official Harry Potter Instagram account posted an open casting call in September for the series, specifying that the actors should be 'children who are aged 9-11 in April 2025, and a resident of the UK or Ireland.' As of reporting, the casting call's website says that submissions are now closed 'due to the high volume.' 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."
Express Tribune
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
HBO's Harry Potter series casts Janet McTeer as McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu nears Snape deal
HBO's Harry Potter reboot is finalizing two major casting decisions. Janet McTeer is set to play McGonagall, while Paapa Essiedu is nearing a deal for Snape. The series, a decade-long adaptation of J.K. Rowling's beloved books, is set to debut in late 2026 or early 2027. McTeer, known for Ozark and Albert Nobbs, would follow in the footsteps of Maggie Smith, who originally played McGonagall in the film series. Meanwhile, Essiedu, recognized for I May Destroy You and The Lazarus Project, is set to take on the role of Snape, previously portrayed by the late Alan Rickman. They are expected to join John Lithgow, who has been cast as Albus Dumbledore. Showrunner Francesca Gardiner has emphasized that the series will remain a 'faithful adaptation' of Rowling's books, with characters portrayed at their canonical ages—meaning Snape will be just 31 when introduced. Filming will take place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the same location as the original movies. The Harry Potter reboot aims to expand representation within the Wizarding World, continuing the franchise's push for inclusivity seen in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. With over 32,000 auditions submitted for Harry, Hermione, and Ron, fans eagerly await final casting announcements before the series' highly anticipated launch.
