Max, in association with Brontë Film and TV, and Warner Bros. Television has officially added two new actors for the Harry Potter TV series, which it describes as a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling. The recent casting announcement revealed that Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse will portray Professor Quirinus Quirell and Argus Filch respectively.
Whitehouse originally played Sir Cadogan in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a knight in one of Hogwarts’ paintings. After Sirius Black attacked the Fat Lady, he replaced her as the guardian of the Gryffindor portrait hole and always created complicated passwords that frustrated the students. Beyond this cameo, Whitehouse established himself as one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy series The Fast Show. He has also appeared in the films The Death of Stalin, Alice in Wonderland, and Ghost Stories.
Thallon, on the other hand, is a rising actor who made his professional debut in Mike Bartlett’s production of Albion at the Almeida in 2017 during his final year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He recently played Roman Abramovich in Peter Morgan’s 2024 play, Patriots. However, his roles in Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt in 2020 earned him the Clarence Derwent Award. In this upcoming TV adaptation, Thallon will be playing the role of the seemingly nervous and stuttering Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher whose significance to the story goes far beyond his classroom duties.
The Harry Potter TV Series Has Officially Confirmed a Total of Six Cast Members
Image via Netflix
Last year, Max announced that the TV series would begin filming this summer at Leavesden Studios — the current home of the official Harry Potter Studio Tour and where the original films were shot. Following this announcement, four actors were cast, including, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, with two more in the pipeline now, the total number stands at six.
Lithgow, a decorated performer with six Emmys and two Tony Awards, will be playing the role of the Hogwarts’ headmaster, previously portrayed by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in the original films. McTeer, herself a Tony, Golden Globe, and Olivier winner, takes on the Transfiguration professor famously played by Maggie Smith. Essiedu, a stage actor who made a name for himself with the Royal Shakespeare Company before his breakout in I May Destroy You, inherits the role of Severus Snape from the late Alan Rickman. And rounding out this initial casting, Nick Frost, best known for his collaborations with Simon Pegg in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, will portray the half-giant gamekeeper Hagrid, a character memorably brought to life by the late Robbie Coltrane in the original film series.
As per Deadline, casting is still ongoing for many major roles, including the protagonist of the film, Harry Potter, previously portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, and his inseparable friends, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley.
While no precise date has been announced for filming, it has been confirmed that the TV series is set to run for ten consecutive years.
 |
Harry Potter Series |
|---|---|
| Cast | John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore); additional cast TBA |
| Release Date | Expected in 2026 |
| Stream On | Max (formerly HBO Max) |
| Directed by | TBA |
| Produced by | Warner Bros. Television, Max Original Productions |
| Based On | Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling |
| Plot Summary | A faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, exploring the magical world of Hogwarts with a new cast. |
| Musical Elements | Composer TBA; expected to feature elements from John Williams’ iconic score |
| Current Status | In pre-production; scheduled to begin filming in summer 2025 |
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