Latest news with #casting
The Sun
a day 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.
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
HBO Harry Potter: What was it like auditioning to be part of the new TV series?
Almost every child has dreamed, if only for a moment, of living in the world of Harry the cast was announced for the films back in the early 2000s, I remember feeling a pang of jealousy – Emma Watson was fine, but wasn't I the real Hermione Granger? I would have given anything for a casting director to have spotted me and whisked me away to Hogwarts to play the iconic three young actors - Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout - that fantasy has become a reality after they were cast as Harry, Hermione and Ron in HBO's forthcoming Harry Potter TV trio went through a process that lasted for months and included several rounds of auditions and were eventually chosen after more than 30,000 children applied to join the wizarding world through an open casting call. What was the process like, and what lies in store for the chosen few? Daniela Tasker saw the open casting call advertised on Facebook and encouraged her son and daughter to audition. They were asked to submit two videos - a memorised monologue and a short introductory clip talking about their hobbies. Her son Marcus received a call back. "Marcus wasn't very interested in Harry Potter but when he made it to the next stage he read all the books, watched the films and went through a phase of loving it," Daniela tells the October, Marcus was sent a script from classic 1982 film ET to perform - but after submitting his video, he didn't hear being "very sad" about the outcome, Marcus is now determined to apply for other acting roles and has his second-round script framed in his bedroom. Those who made it past the second round of auditions had to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), meaning they can't publicly reveal any information about the casting one parent who spoke to the BBC anonymously said their son made it through several rounds of the process and was still attending auditions until recently. 'Dodged a bullet' The young boy was given a script for the new series and attended in-person workshops with other children. "We had a glimpse of what the show will be like and we are very excited for it," the parent says. "You can tell a lot of care has gone into the details." But the parent started to "get cold feet" as the process went on when they realised how life-changing this role would be."It started to become more daunting and we realised the huge pressure that would be on our son if he got the role. He was a little disappointed to be unsuccessful but I think we've dodged a bullet." Earlier this year, a play called Second Best, starring Sex Education's Asa Butterfield, told the story of a former child actor who narrowly missed out on playing Harry Potter when he was Barney Norris, who adapted Second Best for the stage, spoke to a dozen men who were all in the final stages of playing Harry back in 2000. "I feel conflicted about seeing these three kids be announced as the new cast," Norris says. "It's a lovely moment for them, but you also realise their life will never be the same again and growing up as a teenager in the public eye can have a huge psychological impact."Norris says the TV show's casting directors would be likely to have assessed the support systems around the children as well as their talent."It would have been part of the casting process, and no doubt these children have amazing families around them to help their children through a very high-profile and public adolescence." Casper Martin, from Derby, was another child who applied to play Harry - because people had often told him he looked like the character. "It seemed silly not to try for it, but I told him it's almost certainly not going to happen, so he had realistic expectations," his mother Lisa three children who were eventually cast in the lead roles all have some professional acting experience, which caused a bit of controversy online, with some people questioning whether the open casting call was just for show."It's a big gamble to take a kid who has never been in the acting world before so I understand why they picked someone with experience," Lisa Martin says. Sarah Howlett, who submitted an application for her 10-year-old daughter, agrees and thinks having an agent "would have definitely increased Ella's chances". According to Ms Howlett, children with an agent were able to skip the first step of submitting two introductory videos and were "put a level ahead". "Ella was very excited to enter and even though she was disappointed not to get further in the process, it was just a dream for her to just apply."She adds that perhaps the reason Ella didn't progress was because "she was too similar to how Emma Watson played the character and maybe the casting directors wanted something different this time". While details of the casting decisions for HBO's show remain mostly under wraps, Flick Miles, who played Emma Watson's body double in the first three films, says she imagines the process would have been "relatively similar"."When I was cast there was such an importance around duty of care and everyone right to the top was focused on ensuring we had a good support system and were happy."The stars of the TV show will be thrust fully into the spotlight when it airs - it is expected to start in 2026 or 27, and carry on for a decade. Miles tells me that while she has fond memories of her time on the film sets, the new cast will have a more intense experience than the original children did in the early 2000s. "We could just live in a bubble without knowing what was being said about us, but now with social media it's totally different. "I am sure the team will try so hard to preserve their innocence and childhood. But it will be really hard."Speaking to several children who tried out for the TV show, none regret applying, and it seems they are happy to have been a small part of the Harry Potter magic.
Geek Feed
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Feed
Why the New Harry Potter Trio will have it Worse Than the Original
They're finally here. After months of anticipation, WB has officially revealed that the new trio of the Potter reboot which includes Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), Alastair Stout (Ron), and Arabella Stanton (Hermione). The main trio has been cast for the 'HARRY POTTER' TV series: • Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter• Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger • Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley — DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 27, 2025 Though a lot of people are excited that the series is going to start moving forward, there are some on the internet who are familiar with online fandom spaces and have nothing but worry for these three new faces—especially Arabella Stanton who is clearly not caucasian. Already reactions have started to get toxic, and some fans are already bracing themselves for the kind of vitriol that these children are going to be up against online. i'm not interested in this reboot, but i pray for the safety and protection of these kids. their lives are about to become very messy very fast, and i wish them the best of luck in the face of discrimination, adversity, and parasocial fanaticism from harry potter adults — *leslie (@LE5B0B0MB) May 27, 2025 Even with the original trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, the actors have been open about how hard it was to become celebrities at such young ages, and at one point Watson even wanted to quit around the time of the third movie. With McLaughlin, Stout, and Stanton, they now have the internet to worry about, plus the toxic fans that seem to make meals out of hating every single change that comes with new adaptations. I mean, the movies were already being harshly compared to the books, but now the series has a bigger audience to satisfy thanks to the films. With studios recently making moves to protect some of their actors online, I hope that WB already has systems in place to protect the new trio from any online vitriol. That being said, there are still ways for toxic fandoms to get to actors. The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey had to quit social media after relentless bullying from everyone who didn't think that she looked like Ellie from the game, and TLOU threads are just littered with very horrible edits of her. There are some that suggest that the series follow The Crown 's format and just recast the main trio every few years, but as it stands, WB is making a huge gamble with this reboot, and these kids are going to have some huge shoes to fill. In the meantime, Harry Potter is aiming to release sometime in 2027, and with the main trio cast, production can be underway very soon. Watch out for the Potter reboot on HBO Max.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
New Harry Potter castings were signed off by JK Rowling - who will give short shrift to racists complaining about Hermione
JK Rowling gave her approval to the trio cast as the new child stars of the multi-million-pound Harry Potter TV adaptation - after previously giving short shrift to racists complaining about producers' picks. There has been some online backlash against what has been branded ' woke ' reinterpreting of the wizarding franchise based on the seven bestselling books by Rowling, 59, which prompted eight movie versions. But the multi-millionaire author yesterday gave her first public response to the new Harry Potter television casting announcement, with showbusiness insiders suggesting she would have a key role in the new productions. The latest leading trio were finally announced this week after months of speculation - with Dominic McLaughlin landing the title role, while Arabella Stanton is set to play Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout will portray Ron Weasley. One fan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, asking Rowling to let the new recruits know how she felt about their unveiling. Rowling, who has appeared to have fractious relations lately with the original film trio, responded by declaring: 'All three are wonderful. I couldn't be happier.' She has been outspoken in the past when responding to racists trolls unhappy about previous casting of black actresses in the role of Hermione Grainger. There were online barbs amid the opening of the offshoot play Harry Potter And The Cursed Child in London's West End in 2016, including Noma Dumezweni in the main young female role of Hermione. Rowling told the Guardian at the time: 'With my experience of social media, I thought that idiots were going to idiot - that's the way the world is. 'Noma was chosen because she was the best actress for the job. 'When [director] John [Tiffany] told me he'd cast her, I said, "Oh, that's fabulous", because I'd seen her in a workshop and she was fabulous.' Rowling's first public statement on the new casting came this week in response to a social media post that said: '@jk_rowling @streamonmax @harrypotter Please tell Dominic, Arabella and Alistair that they are already loved by the fandom and we can't wait to see the show! 'We wish them all the best and that they have a magic time.' The three new leads are expected to start filming this summer after being chosen from more than 32,000 audition tapes from across the UK and Ireland. The new adaptation will be spread across seven seasons, equal to the number of books - although there were eight films with the final Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows split into two parts. The HBO TV show is said to be costing £75million per episode - and the three child actors taking the lead roles have been tipped to land themselves even bigger fortunes than the original stars. Producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod praised the 'wonderful' talent of the three newcomers, when making Tuesday's casting announcement. 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.' The talented youngsters are used to acting and all have various experiences on stage or behind the camera. Following in Daniel Radcliffe's footsteps, Dominic played Oliver Gregory in a film titled Grow, also starring Alan Carr, Golda Rosheuvel and Nick Frost. Alastair, who will be taking on the role of Ron Weasley, featured in an advert for albert Bartlett's Jersey Royal potatoes. Arabella Stanton, the new actress playing Hermione, has previously starred in the West End in the title role in Roald Dahl adaptation Matilda The Musical as well as playing the character Control in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express. Arabella, who attending as a youngster the Alldance Studio in the Berkshire town of Bracknell, has an Instagram page flagged as a 'parent-controlled account'. She shared photos including her time in the Dahl musical, captioned: 'I started auditioning for Matilda the Musical the week after my 9th birthday and feel so lucky and honoured to have spent the age of 9 being able to play Matilda Wormwood at the Cambridge Theatre, London for the Royal Shakespeare Company (and at Buckingham Palace for an extra special performance at the BBC 500 Words Final).' 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. It was reported last week that this big-budget new series will be filmed in a £1billion mini-centre, complete with its own school and medical centre. Producers have poured money into the vast new studio at Leavesden, just outside Watford in Hertfordshire. The site will include a school for the hundreds of yound actors who are committed to filming the show, while another facility is being erected for the large numbers of animals expected to feature. 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. Rowling released the first Harry Potter novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997, followed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the following year. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released in 1999, followed by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2000. Three years later Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix was published and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2005. The final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released in 2007. Daniel Radcliffe took on the role of protagonist Harry Potter in the film franchise. Emma Watson played Hermione, while Rupert Grint was Ron Weasley. The first movie was released in 2001 and the final one came out in 2011. It was revealed last December that the stories were now being made into a TV series. The late Alan Rickman notably portrayed the role of the potions professor throughout Warner Bros.' Harry Potter film franchise from 2001 through 2011 When asked about the new versions, Radcliffe, 35, previously told 'My understanding is that they're trying to very much start fresh. 'I'm sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere - so I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way. '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.' Rowling and the three child stars from the film versions of the Harry Potter books have appeared at odds in recent years over her gender-critical opinions. Watson, 35, last month earlier this month appeared to make a pointed Instagram comment amid a debate about Rowling's online posts about transgender politics. The British actress took to social media following the Supreme Court in London ruling that in the 2010 Equality Act, the definition of the term 'women' relates only to biological women. And while she did not refer to the judgment, her post came as more than 400 industry professionals including other actors from the Harry Potter franchise - including newly-recruited Paapa Essiedu - signed a pro-trans open letter at odds with Rowling's approach. Supreme Court Judge Lord Hodge warned against taking the recent ruling as a 'triumph' for any side, but gender critical campaigners celebrated it as a victory. Rowling, who reportedly helped fund the women's rights campaign group which brought the Supreme Court case, shared a photo online from on board her superyacht puffing a cigar in celebration. She told her 14.3million followers on X, formerly Twitter: 'I love it when a plan comes together.' Yet while she has been commenting at length on social media about the Supreme Court decision, fans noted the apparent silence from stars who featured in the blockbuster movie adaptations of her Harry Potter books. Watson, whose other films include The Bling Ring and Little Women, was the first to make a public statement following the Supreme Court ruling - without directly addressing speculation about how she or Harry Potter co-stars felt about it. She shared on Instagram, to her 73.3million followers, a quote from the British author Matt Haig. The message said: 'To the person who said they like me best when I am not ranting about politics: I like me best when I am not ignoring fascism.' While Watson, Radcliffe and Grint have not commented directly on Rowling's views in recent months, the Harry Potter author has suggested a breach between them. Rowling had appeared to aim a jibe at them earlier this year, when sharing on her X account a response to another user who asked: 'What actor/actress instantly ruins a movie for you?' Harry Potter author JK Rowling appeared to aim an online jibe earlier this year at the three young actors who have disagreed with her stance on gender issues The writer responded: 'Three guesses. Sorry, but that was irresistible.' And she previously indicated in April last year she would not forgive Radcliffe nor Watson as she criticised celebrities she said had 'cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women's hard-won rights'. On that occasion the multi-millionaire author hit out at stars accused of using their 'platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors' after the release of the long-awaited Cass report into gender treatment in the UK. That government-commissioned study deemed there to be 'remarkably weak evidence' for gender-affirming techniques in children such as puberty blockers. It also said that 'for the majority of young people, a medical pathway may not be the best way' to help when they are 'presenting with gender incongruence or distress'. When one fan said they were 'just waiting for Dan and Emma [Watson]' to offer a 'very public apology' knowing they'd be safe in the knowledge the author would forgive them, Rowling wrote: 'Not safe I'm afraid. 'Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women's hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces.'
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Will HBO Now Have To Rewrite Awkward Hermione And Snape Storylines?
Hermione WB HBO finally announced who would play its core cast members, Harry, Ron and Hermione, in its upcoming Harry Potter series, a re-adaptation of the books, reboots the old series of films that rocketed its core cast to stardom. Now, fans fear culture war backlash for a few of the cast roles, namely Paapa Essiedu cast as Severus Snape, and now the young Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Essiedu is black, and while Stanton looks almost exactly like a young Emma Watson, it appears she isn't white, and that's enough to cause unfortunate controversy. The accusations of 'race swapping' originally white characters are frequent in media, and as a whole, not legitimate casting complaints. However, in this situation, because it is these specific Potter characters who are now not white, that raises questions about how specific bits of source material will be handled given the events that took place in the books and films, and how those might take on new, unforseen racial dynamics with this casting. For Essiedu's Snape, his story eventually leads to the revelation that he was relentlessly bullied by James Potter back in the '70s, hung upside down with magic at one point, and pining after Lily, James' eventual wife. That bullying and love triangle takes on a new dimension with Essiedu being one of the only cast members of color as now it's confirmed that will not be the case with either Potter parent. It's an uncomfortable dynamic when you think about how that's going to play out onscreen. For Hermione, we are going to get into awkward territory when there is an entire storyline about her starting a movement to free house elves from slavery, something that's laughed off by everyone else as a dumb cause. Past that, Hermione is a frequent target of attacks about her genealogy. She's called a 'mudblood,' an slur about her non-magical parents producing a magic child, but calling a young, non-white girl a 'mudblood' seems…different in that context. It is the case that the house elf storyline was already cut from the films, not for controversy reasons, but because there was just not enough time to include that side-story (though the big moment of Dobby being accidentally freed was still in the adaptation when it came time for that). As for Hermione being attacked for her heritage and Snape being bullied by James Potter, that seems harder to get around. One argument is that they can claim all this is actually a metaphor for racial injustice and that Harry Potter is being smart and progressive with that commentary, but it's impossible to believe that was ever the actual intent of the story. Sure, the Malfoys are in effect more or less pureblood Aryan stand-ins, but this is also a series that had almost no minority characters at all and none in major roles. It is laudable that the cast is going to be more inclusive, but with the specific characters that were chosen here, and only those characters, from what it seems, this is going to be more complicated than I think they realize, and we will have to see how this is handled. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
