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With little fanfare, Warner Bros. Discovery’s ambitious Harry Potter television series has cast the young leads who will anchor one of the studio’s most valuable franchises for the next decade. The Golden Trio—described as “screen newcomers” in a WBD press release—includes Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Dominic McLaughlin in the titular role as Harry Potter. All three are at the very beginning of their careers; Stanton is the only one with a notable acting credit, having played the lead role in Matilda: The Musical on London’s West End.
In a statement, showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner and director and executive producer 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. 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.”
According to Deadline, an incredible 32,000 children were vying for the roles previously played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. With a wide-reaching, inclusive casting call, the outlet noted that many of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts classmates (and maybe even Ron’s family members) may be plucked from those same auditions. They’ll join previously announced adult cast members John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore), Janet McTeer (Professor McGonagall), Paapa Essiedu (Severus Snape), Nick Frost (Hagrid), Luke Thallon (Professor Quirrell), and Paul Whitehouse (Filch). Filming is set to begin this summer at Warner Bros. Studios Leavensden, where the original movies were filmed. The series is currently slated to premiere on HBO in 2026.
