It's a Hogwarts bonanza today, as we are delighted to reveal six of the school’s staff that will appear in the Harry Potter HBO Original Series.
John Lithgow is confirmed as Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and Harry’s future mentor. Lithgow is a 6-time Emmy winner, 2-time Tony winner and a BAFTA and Oscar nominee. Most recently, he won the 2025 Best Actor Oliver Award for his role in the West End theatre production, Giant.
Tony, Golden Globe and Olivier winner and Oscar and Emmy nominee Janet McTeer will portray Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House, Professor McGonagall.
Paapa Essiedu who was Emmy and BAFTA nominated for his turn in comedy-drama I May Destroy You, takes on the surly Potions Professor, Severus Snape, while BIFA nominated actor Nick Frost will be taking on the mantle of beloved Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid.
Theatre performer Luke Thallon is playing Quirinus Quirrell, the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in Harry’s first year, while five-time BAFTA winner Paul Whitehouse, perhaps best known for UK sketch series The Fast Show, plays Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch.
That’s a very full Hogwarts staff room already!
‘We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell and Filch,’ said Francesca Gardiner, showrunner and executive producer and Mark Mylod, director of multiple episodes and executive producer. ‘We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.’
Production for the series is slated to begin in summer 2025 and you can catch up on absolutely everything revealed so far about the TV series right here.
The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved “Harry Potter” book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling and will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters “Harry Potter” fans have adored for over 25 years. Exploring every corner of the wizarding world, each season will bring “Harry Potter” and its incredible adventures to new and existing audiences and will stream exclusively on Max where it’s available globally, including upcoming markets such as Turkey, the UK, Germany, and Italy, among others. The original, classic, and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch around the world.
The upcoming series is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
The Harry Potter TV series will be a HBO Original and will premiere on Max. Learn more about Max right here, and see if it's available in your territory here.
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