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The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Prison time to being drunk on set to explicit text rants – the dark side of being a Harry Potter child star
BAD SPELL Scroll to find out which HUGE star almost walked out of filming EXCITEMENT over the new Harry Potter TV series hit fever pitch this week, when the brand new fresh faced cast were revealed. The image mirrored that of the young actors who were unveiled in 2001 - but since the films came to an end in 2010, a dark side to being one of the child stars of the famous franchise has come to light. 8 8 8 Screen newcomer Dominic McLaughlin will take on the pivotal role of Harry Potter in the brand new TV shpw. Fellow newcomers Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout will be playing Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively. Showrunner Franscesca Gardiner and lead director 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. The noughties movies saw a then unknown Daniel Radcliffe bag the role of Harry Potter. He was joined by fellow co-leads Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Ron and Hermione, who were also new to showbusiness. Here we take at some of the scandals that have plagued the original young cast of Harry Potter over the years. DRUNK ON SET Golden boy Daniel Radcliffe took on the huge starring role of Harry Potter when he was just ten. However, he previously revealed how he had been drunk on set - although he didn't disclose how old he was at the time, as he was 20 when filming ended. Daniel once revealed that while he never drank on set, his habit was bad enough to affect filming Harry Potter. Harry Potter star reveals the shocking amount they were paid on set of hit film franchise 'I can honestly say I never drank at work on Harry Potter,' he told The Telegraph in 2012. 'I went into work still drunk, but I never drank at work. "I can point to many scenes where I'm just gone. Dead behind the eyes.' Daniel, who has been sober since 2010, said that he attempted to stop drinking multiple times, and eventually sought help from friends. 'Ultimately, it was my own decision,' he said. 'Like I woke up one morning after a night going like, 'This is probably not good.'' 8 PRISON TIME Harry Potter star Jamie Waylett's life hit rock bottom when he found himself in prison for two years. After finding fame as Hogwarts bully Vincent Crabbe in the early films, his life took a dark turn. The former actor was jailed for his part in the London riots in August 2011. Jamie was found guilty of violent disorder and handling stolen goods at London's Wood Green Crown Court. Just 22-years-old at the time, he admitted swigging from a stolen bottle of Champagne that had looted as the riots were taking place. But Jamie was cleared of intending to destroy or damage property with a petrol canister he was pictured holding. Jamie's lawyer said at the time that her client had become a "withered actor by the age of 22". She went on: "Although he had the good fortune to be in the Harry Potter films, it turned out to be not so good fortune." Jamie was released from prison in 2014. THREATS TO QUIT Despite becoming a millionaire many times over for her role in Harry Potter and having an army of fans around the world, Emma Watson once revealed how she nearly didn't return to the franchise. The Hermione Granger actress revealed that when she was 16, she considered walking away because of the "horrible" filming schedule. In 2006, her contract with Warner Brothers came up for renewal while she was shooting the fifth film, The Order Of The Phoenix. Emma revealed how she "agonised" over signing it as it was for another five years, but eventually went ahead with it. LOW PAY FOR CHILD EXTRAS While lead actors Daniel, Emma and Rupert were raking in the big bucks, little could be said for the other child stars who appeared in the films. The famous movies required hundreds of kids as extras to play pupils at Hogwarts. However, one of these actors has spilled the beans on just how low their pay was. 8 Samantha Clinch appeared in the third and fourth movie, and recently took to TikTok to reveal how much she earnt. Addressing her followers, she said that they would do 12-hour filming days as an extra, starting in early in the morning. 'We would be called for breakfast to be in the holding area outside the set for 5am in the morning and then be leaving at rush hour, on the bus in heavy, heavy traffic," she recalled. The actress then dropped a huge bombshell about how much she was paid for these gruelling hours. 'Are you ready for how much we got paid?" she teased, before revealing they got £35 a day. 'That's £2.91 an hour," Samantha added. EXPLICIT TEXT RANT Back in 2018, The Sun exclusively revealed how Joshua Herdman blasted a Harry Potter super-fan as a 'loser' and a 'c***' in a nasty Instagram rant. The actor turned MMA fighter, who played Draco Malfoy's sidekick Goyle in the films, left the fan so upset he binned his beloved Boy Wizard boxset and vowed never to watch them again. It all kicked off after the fan - who went by Chris - asked Josh if he "used marijuana", in an Instagram chat, and the actor took offence. In the massages, that were seen by The Sun, the actor replied to the fan: 'Lol, big man! 'I'd love you to say that to my face. Absolute r****d mate, have [you] looked in the mirror recently?' The actor was contacted for his side of the story at the time the story was published. How to spot a rare Harry Potter book AS JK Rowling's popularity has rocketed, so has the value of the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. If you think you might have one, then first look to see if Bloomsbury is listed as the publisher on the title page at the bottom. The copy should be a first edition - which will be noted within the first few pages. The latest date listed in the copyright information must by 1997. It should be credited to "Joanne Rowling" and not "J.K Rowling" and carry a print line that reads " 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" on the copyright page. There is a mistake on page 53 where '1 wand' appears twice in the list of school supplies Harry receives from Hogwarts, which was corrected in later print runs. For the other titles in the Harry Potter series, it is only the first hardback editions with the dust jacket that have any collectable value.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
From a Jersey Royals ad to performing on the West End: How new Harry Potter stars got their big breaks
Twenty-five years ago three children filed into a room full of camera crews and sat at a table set up with microphones, glasses of water and bowls of sweets, to face the world's press. Mere muggles, they were about to be swept into a magical universe that would catapult them to global stardom and make them multi-millionaires. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint – then aged 11 – would go on to bring the magic of Hogwarts to life as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the blockbuster film franchise of JK Rowling 's wizarding world. A lot has happened since that press conference in August 2000, when only four out of the seven Harry Potter books had been published. But it may be of particular interest to another trio of muggles, who are about to have their otherwise ordinary lives go up in smoke – as if by magic. This week Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout were unveiled as the children picked to play Harry, Hermione and Ron in the hotly anticipated TV adaptation of the series. Uncannily like their predecessors in both appearance (just look at that red hair) and, as the Mail has learned, experience and background, they were chosen from more than 32,000 children who sent in audition clips in the hope of landing roles in a series set to be every bit as popular – and lucrative – as the original. The rumour mill suggests the HBO show could cost a staggering £75million an episode to produce, although this week that was reported to be a slightly more modest £12million. But the investment is in line with expectations that it will bring in much, much more. No wonder then that there is speculation the three child actors could land themselves even bigger fortunes than the original stars, with estimates that they are being paid at least £1million per series to begin with, rising to £10million to £20million each by the end of the seventh season. For Radcliffe, Watson and Grint, their bank balances remain in astonishingly good shape, 14 years after they finished filming the last instalment. According to this year's Sunday Times Rich List, Radcliffe is estimated to be worth £100million, Watson more than £60million and Grint north of £40million. How far they have all come since that initial press conference. Back then, Watson was asked about how things might change. 'I don't want to change,' she declared, before confessing: 'So far it's sort of turned things upside down.' Given how superstardom took over their childhoods, that was an understatement. Our three new stars will doubtless have been cautioned about the exciting, but life-changing, whirlwind that lies ahead. HBO has certainly taken a different approach with announcing its cast, perhaps mindful that for the original three fame came with not only riches but pitfalls. Radcliffe, now 35, has been open about using alcohol as a coping mechanism in his teens. Watson, also 35, has spoken of going to therapy to help with the side-effects of fame. So, unlike their predecessors, McLaughlin, Stanton and Stout haven't yet been properly introduced to the public. Instead, the casting news was delivered in a brief press release and social media post from HBO, in which only their names were revealed. There was a single photo of the trio. No press conferences and no tricky questions. Yet while they might not have contended with such exposure before, these actors are already accustomed to success. Take Arabella Stanton, who recently turned 11 and is in the final year of primary school. She has already had a starring role as the eponymous schoolgirl lead in Matilda The Musical. Her West End debut was in September 2023, which she celebrated by standing next to a balloon creation bearing the words 'keep shining, you've got this'. Clearly cut out for stardom, one review of her performance gushed: 'I've seen many child actors in theatre, but Stanton is simply mesmerising... A star in the making, to say the least.' Arabella's parents Melanie and Dan are lawyers as, coincidentally, are the parents of Emma Watson. Her maternal grandfather is also a lawyer, while her paternal grandparents are both physiotherapists. The family live in a modern detached home near Woking in Surrey, and as well as performing, Arabella plays the clarinet, swims, plays hockey and enjoys skiing and horse-riding. There was a blanket no comment from organisations Arabella is involved with this week – she has one-on-one singing lessons, attends dance school and takes musical theatre classes at two institutions, as well as masterclasses with another company – indicating the HBO publicity machine is carefully managing the exposure of their new stars. Her father, meanwhile, very politely, declined to comment on his daughter's success. Playing Harry is Dominic McLaughlin, a Scottish schoolboy who has a similar stage school pedigree behind him. It's thought his parents are a lawyer and a doctor. Dominic's impressive CV includes an appearance opposite star Ralph Fiennes in Macbeth. He's also already chalked up his first movie role, in an upcoming Sky film titled Grow starring Alan Carr and Nick Frost. The Performance Academy Scotland, near Glasgow, where he trained for five years, shared the news of his success this week, writing: 'This one is MAGICAL! We said from the start that Dominic was the perfect Harry and we are thrilled for everyone else to see this soon too.' The least experienced of the trio is Alastair Stout, 11, whose most prominent role appears to have been in an advert for Albert Bartlett's Jersey Royal potatoes. He grew up in the Salford suburb of Worsley, where he is a long-standing student at the 3Two1 Theatre school.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
J.K. Rowling Is A Billionaire—Again
The Dark Arts of Cancel Culture have been no match for the magic of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. If there was any price to be paid for placing herself at the center of the debate over transgender rights, you wouldn't know it by looking at her pugnacious feed on X (formerly Twitter). There, Rowling posts several times a day in support of gender fundamentalism to her 14 million-plus followers, frequently trading barbs with commenters—even fracturing her relationship with Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint—while toasting her own personal successes. 'I love it when a plan comes together,' she wrote in mid-April, channeling The A-Team's Hannibal Smith, after the United Kingdom's Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. The accompanying photo showed Rowling holding a cocktail and smoking a cigar aboard her superyacht, which is valued at $150 million. Bruising culture war aside, the 59-year-old's Rowling's business empire is now larger than ever. In the four years since she began posting about transgender rights in 2020, Forbes estimates Rowling has earned more than $80 million per year from the sales of her books and the vast litany of Potterverse brand extensions, including movies, TV shows, theme parks, video games, theater and merchandise. Even after factoring in high U.K. taxes and her extensive charity ventures, she has comfortably rejoined the billionaire ranks with a net worth of $1.2 billion, according to Forbes estimates. Rowling was previously a fixture on the Forbes billionaires list from 2004-2011—the height of Pottermania—until new reporting in 2012 uncovered $160 million in philanthropic giving. In the years since, she's built back her 10-figure fortune through multimillion-dollar revenue streams across every conceivable medium. West End Wizardry: The Harry Potter stage play has sold more than 11 million tickets and grossed over $1 billion since opening in London in 2016. And her momentum is not slowing any time soon, with a new HBO Max series adaptation of the Harry Potter books going into production this summer, expected to run for a decade beginning in late 2026 and mint a whole new generation of fans. Forbes estimates that Rowling could earn about $20 million per year for her involvement in the new series—one part of a wide-ranging deal with Warner Bros.—and she was 'very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director,' said HBO Max CEO Casey Bloys in November. One has to imagine she had the same input in casting the new pre-teen Harry, Hermoine and Ron, announced on Monday. When asked about Rowling's politics on an episode of The Town with Matt Belloni in April, Bloys said, 'She's entitled to those views. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter." In the nearly three decades since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone debuted in 1997, Rowling has shrewdly expanded the Potterverse, building it into a franchise that is likely to run as long as Harry's fictional British compatriots Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. According to Habo Studio, a consulting firm that ranks the strongest intellectual property brands in the U.S. by surveying thousands of consumers, Harry Potter is the sixth strongest brand in all of entertainment, and No. 1 among millennials. Warner Bros. saw the potential of Rowling's intellectual property very early, licensing the movie rights before the first book was even released, when Rowling was still a single mother living on welfare—'as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless,' she told The London Times in a recent interview. By the time that first big screen adaptation came to theaters in late 2001, Rowling had published four Potter books and sold over 100 million copies, vaulting her from living off welfare checks to multi-millionaire celebrity status. Just two years later, Rowling's then-agent Chris Little told Forbes the Harry Potter series had sold 250 million copies, building Rowling's initial fortune. The film franchise would then go on to gross almost $7.7 billion at the global box office after its final installment in 2011, at the time the highest-grossing franchise in movie history. By then Rowling's contract with Warner Bros. had been renegotiated numerous times to include various provisions and protections, including participation in the films' profits, an executive producer credit on the final two movies and, most importantly, authority over 'non-author written sequels,' which meant that no further Harry Potter material could be developed without Rowling's approval. If there's one thing Rowling has been more fiercely protective of than her political beliefs, it is the rights to her signature characters. That contractual stipulation allowed Rowling to negotiate for screenwriting control over the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016 and its two sequels. The third installment, released in 2022, was the first to be stress tested by public backlash (including calls for boycotts) to Rowling's stance against transgender rights. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore grossed $400 million at the global box office against a budget of more than $250 million, and is considered an enormous flop. Riding High: A sixth Wizarding World attraction was revealed at Universal's Epic Universe when the theme park opened in May. Still, Rowling was far from cancelled. By that point, tickets for her Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage play were selling steadily on Broadway, in London's West End and five other locations around the world—grossing more than $1 billion since its premiere in 2016, of which Rowling shares in the profits. HBO Max was also producing the fifth season of C.B. Strike, an adaptation of Rowling's adult detective novels, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. And in 2023 a new video game Hogwarts Legacy sold 24 million copies, the best-selling game of that year, grossing another $1 billion. Because of that momentum, Warner Bros. was eager to double down on Potter projects. When CEO David Zaslav was hired in 2022, he flew to Scotland to meet with Rowling to find a way to develop new wizarding world content. While Rowling held rights to prequels and spin-offs, Warner Bros. still controlled the material from the original seven novels, which is why the studio pursued a remake of the original series. Eventually the project secured Rowling's blessing in 2023. 'Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me,' Rowling said in a statement last April when the show was announced. Despite the obvious ubiquity of the Potterverse, analysts believe that Rowling's tight-fisted control and near-singular authorship over the Harry Potter world has protected it from the kind of overexposure and dilution that has plagued other popular intellectual property in recent years, such as Disney's Marvel and Star Wars universes. Everywhere the Potter brand goes, it finds eager customers. When Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park opened its first Wizarding World attraction in 2010, it saw a 36% jump in attendance and a 40% increase in revenue. Comcast's annual financial report called it 'transformative to the company,' and it has since implemented Harry Potter into its parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Tokyo and Beijing, all of which saw boosts in attendance as a result. Similarly, an hour north of London, a studio tour of the Warner Bros. lot branded 'the making of Harry Potter' reported over $300 million in revenue and $120 million in operating profit in 2023. "Nothing has ever given a 36% increase in attendance in parks, from Disney to Six Flag to whoever,' says Dennis Spiegel, founder and CEO of International Theme Park Services. "The Harry Potter licensing deal, in my opinion, is probably the greatest licensing arrangement that has been done in theme parks in the last 40 years." Universal licenses the property from Warner Bros., and by extension Rowling gets a percentage of every purchase in that portion of the park, everything from wands to scarfs to butterbeer. According to Forbes estimates, theme parks account for the second largest income stream for Rowling over the past decade. Of course, the largest portion of Rowling's empire continues to be her book sales. The Harry Potter series has sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, according to its U.S. publisher Scholastic, and has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for 843 weeks and counting. A hardcover edition of the script for Cursed Child—written by veteran playwright Jack Thorne but based on a story by Rowling, Thorne and director John Tiffany—sold more than four million copies in its first year of release in 2016, and a picture book Christmas at Hogwarts was the No. 1 holiday book overall in 2024. In addition, Rowling has published five Comoran Strike novels under the Galbraith pseudonym since 2013. Rowling never sold the rights to ebooks for her work, instead founding Pottermore Publishing in 2012, a business that took off during the pandemic and now pays her several million per year. A spokesperson from The Blair Partnership, Rowling's management team, declined to comment on her wealth but sent the following statement to Forbes: 'The global passion for Harry Potter continues to drive growth and innovation across the brand, supported by our incredible partners—from publishing and theme parks to consumer products, theatre, gaming, and television. With numerous exciting new projects in development globally, fans from every generation can look forward to even more meaningful ways to experience the magic of J.K. Rowling's beloved stories. We're thrilled about this next chapter in the franchise, including the 10th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the full-cast audiobooks from Pottermore and Audible featuring over 100 actors, and, of course, the highly anticipated HBO Max television series.' Based on her earnings and diverse revenue streams, Rowling's net worth could be considerably higher, were it not for her commitment to philanthropy. Forbes estimates she has donated more than $200 million in the past 20 years, primarily to three causes: Lumos, which has helped more than 280,000 abandoned children in orphanages in Romania, Haiti, Colombia and Ukraine; Volant, which supports victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence; and the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, which treats patients with neurological conditions such as MS, the disease that took her mother's life when Rowling was just 25. She has also been very vocal about maintaining her residency in Edinburgh, Scotland, and paying the country's highest income tax rate of 45%. In 2010, Rowling wrote that she wants her children to be 'citizens, with everything that implies, of a real country, not free-floating ex-pats, living in the limbo of some tax haven and associating only with the children of similarly greedy tax exiles.' She considered it a form of payback for how far she had come in her own life, adding, 'I am indebted to the British welfare state,' and that it is 'my notion of patriotism' to pay into the system for others. Still, Rowling doesn't shy away from her wealth in the public square of social media, where she deploys it as a trump card against those who would condemn her for her anti-trans statements. 'How do you sleep at night knowing you've lost a whole audience from buying your books,' wrote one X user in 2022. 'I read my most recent royalty cheques,' Rowling replied, 'and find the pain goes away pretty quickly.'
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
5 Financial Literacy Lessons From ‘Harry Potter'
Actors, Daniel Radcliffe, (L) Emma Watson (M) and Rupert Grant (R) on the set of the film, 'Harry ... More Potter and The Goblet of Fire', London, England, 2005 (Photo by Murray Close/ Getty Images) With the HBO Max reboot of Harry Potter slated for release in 2026 and the recent announcement of key cast members including the new Harry, Ron, and Hermione, it's the perfect moment to return to the Wizarding World—not for nostalgia, but for wisdom. Beyond the magic, J.K. Rowling's classic series is rich with useful insights, including potential lessons in financial literacy. Though Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts may not appear in your bank statements, the characters and their stories mirror those in the Muggle world. Here are five financial literacy lessons inspired by Harry Potter. In Harry's world as in personal finance, acting on misinformation can be catastrophic. For example, Lord Voldemort misinterpreted the prophecy and acted on incomplete information passed on by Severus Snape. He targeted Harry without knowing that he risks marking Harry as his equal and passing to him 'powers that the Dark Lord knows not.' That error set in motion his first downfall at the beginning of the series. It also remained his main motivation to hunt Harry throughout the novels, which led to Voldemort's defeat in the end. Dumbledore, by contrast, took years to gather intelligence, understand Voldemort, and strategically prepare Harry to destroy the Horcruxes. He exemplified what might be called due diligence. This highlights the importance of financial literacy and keeping up with relevant information. The foundation of wise financial decision-making is in acquiring accurate, up-to-date information. There are a lot of resources available to increase your knowledge base. You can read books and articles from reputable websites and blogs, attend workshops or seminars, and follow trusted advisors and other financial professionals. Never base major financial decisions on rumors, trends, or partial data. Albus Dumbledore was the ultimate long-term strategist. From the moment he left The-Boy-Who-Lived at the Dursleys' doorstep, his decisions were guided by his dual goal of protecting Harry and killing Voldemort. Though Dumbledore himself admitted to making mistakes in regard to Harry (especially in Order of the Phoenix), his planning yielded fruit in the end. Thinking long-term is equally critical in personal finance. For example, when investing, having a long-term perspective allows you to withstand short-term fluctuations and avoid the perils of timing the market. In terms of savings, a long-term outlook lets you maximize compounding. The earlier you save, the more interest your money will earn in time. You can also apply this to goal setting. Planning for a child's college education, a home purchase, or your retirement requires patience, discipline, and resilience. Financial goals are rarely achieved overnight but the earlier you start, the better. And like Dumbledore, you should trust in the long game. No one is immune to deception. For instance, in Goblet of Fire, Harry spends an entire year under the mentorship of who he believes is Professor Alastor Moody—only to discover that it was actually Barty Crouch Jr., a Death Eater using Polyjuice Potion. Similarly, in Sorcerer's Stone, Harry suspects Snape of trying to steal the stone. Then it was revealed in the end that it was 'p-p-poor, st-stuttering' Professor Quirrell who posed the real threat (with Voldemort in the back of his head, to boot!) In the real world, financial scams are often disguised as friendly advisors or trustworthy emails. Beware of phishing, identity theft, Ponzi schemes, and get-rich-quick investment opportunities. It is critical to learn how to identify red flags, verify identities, and protect your personal information. Use two-factor authentication whenever available. You should also check and monitor your accounts regularly for suspicious activities and report them as soon as possible. Never share crucial personal information online and be careful about anything you post even in social media. Live by the mantra, 'If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't' and as Moody will remind you, 'Constant vigilance!' James and Lily Potter may have perished early, but they left Harry with the magic of love that protected him from Voldemort throughout, not to mention the vault full of gold at the wizard bank, Gringotts. ('Didn't think yer mum and dad will leave you with nothing now, did yeh?' said Hagrid in Sorcerer's Stone.) That and an additional inheritance from Sirius later in the books, sustained Harry's Hogwarts education and beyond. Thankfully, they had. You should follow this example and plan your estate as early as possible. It's also important to understand that estate planning is not only for the wealthy—it is for anyone who wants to ensure their loved ones are taken care of and their wishes respected. As soon as you are 18, and especially if you have any earned income, it's advisable to start estate planning. Regardless of the amount of assets you have, prepare for the possibility of death. Even a simple will can ensure that you leave specific instructions as to how your estate will be managed. Later, as your assets become more substantial, you can set up trusts, durable power of attorney, healthcare proxies, advanced directives, and beneficiary designations, as needed. While it is possible to do it yourself, it's better to have support and guidance from friends, family, or professional advisors when managing or planning your finances. After all, Harry's victories were never achieved alone. He had help from Ron and Hermione for most of his adventures. Dumbledore, Lupin, Sirius, and the other members of Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army also played indispensable roles in the defeat of Voldemort. In your financial journey, you should also surround yourself with trustworthy allies. For example, your friends and family can be accountability partners as you work to get out of debt, build your emergency fund, or develop your savings habit. They can also provide moral and sometimes even financial support. There may also come a time when you will need professional advice. Whether it's a certified financial planner, a tax advisor, an investment broker, or an estate attorney, professional guidance can help you with tailored strategies especially as your finances become more complicated. Just remember to do your due diligence when choosing advisors. You never know when your most trusted advisor is your worst enemy (as it turned out Snape was to Voldemort). While you may not be able to use Legilimency and read people's minds, you can use tools like FINRA's BrokerCheck or the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website to conduct background checks. As the world awaits the Harry Potter reboot, revisiting the series though a financial lens reveals useful insights. From ensuring accurate information and thinking long-term to being aware of scams and seeking help from others, the characters and stories from the Wizarding World not only entertain but can also help teach financial literacy.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Potter gold! How young actors announced as the new Harry, Ron and Hermione in TV remake of the wizard series are set to make MILLIONS after original trio turned their backs on JK Rowling... so where HAVE you seen the rising stars before?
The child actors set to follow in the footsteps of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in the new Harry Potter series have at last been announced - after the iconic trio turned their backs on JK Rowling. Following the incredible success of the original eight Potter films, fans had long been calling for the spellbinding franchise to make a return. They at last got their wish with the announcement that Hogwarts would be back on our screens in a JK Rowling produced HBO series aiming to 'lead a new generation of fandom'. But hopes of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint reuniting were all but crushed after their very public feud with Rowling. The actors 'turned their backs' on the author who made them their riches - Radcliffe a reported £85 million, Watson a whopping £62 million and Grint £37 million - following a row over trans rights in 2020. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The trio spoke out publicly against the author after she stated her belief that women are defined by their biological sex and not their gender identity. Rowling later insisted she would never forgive the Harry Potter stars, with the 59-year-old again taking aim at them just last month. Replying to a tweet asking: 'What actor/ actress instantly ruins a movie for you?', Rowling wrote: 'Three guesses. Sorry, but that was irresistible.' But while cast members of the films have publicly criticised the books' author, HBO have backed Rowling saying she has a 'right to express her personal views'. So after catapulting Radcliffe, Watson and Grint to stardom almost 25 years ago with the first Potter film, who exactly are Rowling's chosen ones this time around? Directors trawled through more than 32,000 audition tapes before deciding on the lucky three - Dominic Laughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stour as Ron Weasley. With every single episode of the much-anticipated production expected to cost a staggering £75 million, landing a lead role in the series has been described as like 'winning the lottery'. Brand expert Nick Ede told MailOnline: 'From a child actor's point of view to be cast in Harry Potter it is completely like winning the jackpot. It's going to completely change their lives. 'Daniel Radcliffe was paid £1 million for his first film and that went up to £50 million for the last two. It's not just the financial gain but the global fame will also bring endorsements and deals for them. 'It's the best start to an acting career they could ever want, I can only see it going up for them. But it is a lot of pressure to be cast in such a big show, I mean they're going to be superstars globally. 'I can imagine them at least being paid £1 million per series to begin with and then you could even see them commanding £10 to £20 million each by the end of the seventh season - or even more.' Arabella Stanton - Hermione Granger Cast as the much-loved character of Hermione Granger is Arabella Stanton, who goes by Bella. Following in the footsteps of Watson, who first played Hermione in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone when she was just 11, the British actress is believed to be between nine and 11 years old. But she's already featured both on television and in theatre after studying at some of the country's most well respected acting schools. Bella began began honing her skills at Aldance, a studio in Bracknell offering dancing classes for children from 18 months through to adults. She too trained at the prestigious British Theatre Academy and the Guildford School of Acting, which has produced stars such as Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Chris Geere. She landed her first role in 2023 when she was cast as star character Matilda in the West End production Matilda The Musical. Making her West End debut, Bella, who was the production's youngest cast member, performed in the show for around a six month period beginning in September 2023 and even featured on BBC's The One Show for World Book Day as Matilda. After impressing on stage, Arabella bagged the part of Control in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 2024 London revival of Starlight Express. Away from the spotlight, she enjoys 'playing hockey for her local club, skiing and horse riding. She loves competing in swimming galas and triathlons and she also plays the clarinet.' Hermione however will undoubtedly be Bella's biggest part yet and following in the footsteps of Emma Watson, she certainly has big boots to fill. Dominic McLaughlin - Harry Potter Playing the main character in the upcoming HBO remake of JK Rowling's iconic series is Dominic McLaughlin, a young Scottish actor with experience in film and theatre. Having beaten off tens of thousands of children during auditions, Harry Potter lovers will no doubt be chomping at the bit to see what Dominic has to offer. And the young actor boasts an impressive CV, having appeared in a production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth where he featured alongside Luther actress Indira Varma. Noticeably, the Scot even has prior experience of playing a wizard after starring as Oliver Gregory in the 2024 film Grow. Dominic is also believed to have been lined up for a role in an upcoming BBC adventure series titled Gifted after beating more than 3,000 budding Scottish children to the part. His 'magical' casting as Harry Potter has left those back home in Dominic's native Scotland incredibly proud, with his old acting school taking to Facebook to express their pride on Wednesday, The Performance Academy Scotland posted: 'The news is out and this one is MAGICAL!! 'Our amazing young performer has been cast as Harry Potter in the upcoming HBO series. We are not sure 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. 'A massive congratulations to Dominic…our Harry Potter.' Alastair Stout - Ron Weasley Keeping Ron Weasley ginger after Rupert Grint bagged the role when he was just 12 is Alastair Stout. The actor, believed to be from the north of England, is perhaps the least experienced of the three children cast to star in the new series. His only role to date was in the new advert for Albert Bartlett's Jersey Royal potatoes, in which he played a small part. Despite his lack of experience nevertheless, Alastair - and his two co-stars - offer a talent which is 'wonderful to behold', according to the show's producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod. '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,' they 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. '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.' The three child actors will be joined in the series by a host of other newbies after stars from the original such as Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Dame Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman passed away. Emmy, Olivier, and BAFTA nominee Paapa Essiedu is set to play Severus Snape, who was portrayed by Alan Rickman in the films. The late Alan Rickman notably portrayed the role of the potions professor throughout Warner Bros.' Harry Potter film franchise from 2001 through 2011. However, when rumours first swirled of Paapa securing the role it prompted some to share their thoughts on X (formerly known as Twitter). One penned, 'I'm sorry but there is only one man who can be Professor Snape. Shame on HBO for going near this. It's just going to ruin something that should be left well alone.' Another typed, 'Paapa Essiedu shouldn't take this role for his own benefit. He could be the best actor in the world but he doesn't fit the characteristics of Snape from the book.' 'I don't understand the push to change everything from the original context,' they added. Another wrote, 'Paapa Essiedu is being eyed for the role of Professor Severus Snape in the upcoming 'Harry Potter' TV series. Another classic that goes woke.' The character, played by Michael Gambon in the final six of eight Harry Potter films, is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts and a mentor to the title character While when John Lithgow was cast as Albus Dumbledore, some fans were not happy about the casting of an American actor to play the British character, particularly given JK Rowling's insistance that the cast of the original films be British. Taking to X, fans wrote: 'I can't understand why John Lithgow is the new Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter HBO series. Dumbledore is British, Lithgow is from the USA.' 'Nothing against John Lithgow, but Dumbledore and the whole Harry Potter franchise is British.' The young trio will join A-listers John Lithgow, 79, as Albus Dumbledore, Paul Whitehouse, 67, as Argus Filch, and Nick Frost, 53, as Rubeus Hagrid as they film at Warner Bros's 200-acre studio in Leavesden Herts.
