RUMOURED Actors Attached to Star in HBO's Harry Potter

I previously wrote an article expressing my initial thoughts on the Harry Potter revival as a seven-season TV adaptation. Since the initial announcement, HBO has remained pretty tight-lipped about any cast, directors or screenwriters attached to this project. However, some names have now appeared on social media and news outlets.

For the leading trio, a Tiktoker who claimed to have insider knowledge at HBO has theorised that actors being considered for the roles are Toby Woolf (The Last Post, Summer of Rockets, and Pistol) as Harry Potter, Joshua Pickering (A Discovery of Witches and Peter Pan and Wendy) as Ron Weasley and Bronte Carmichael (Disney's Christopher Robin, Great Expectations and Game of Thrones) as Hermione Granger.

Other names she claimed were attached, including Adam Driver, Helen Mirren and Tom Felton, but these, along with the previous names, have not been confirmed by HBO.

On Monday, 5th June, Fan Fest revealed on their social media that several British actors were attached to play or are currently in discussions for principal roles had been leaked. Quite a few of these actors have worked with HBO in the past, so I am slightly more inclined to believe these actors are more serious contenders.

Liam Cunningham as Professor Albus Dumbledore

Best known for playing Davos Seaworth in the HBO epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, Cunningham is allegedly attached to play the Hogwarts headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. As Richard Harris and Michael Gambon have previously played the role in the film series, I think Cunningham would be a perfect choice to bring Dumbledore to life in a TV narrative.

Liam Cunningham has been nominated for the London Film Critics' Circle Award and the British Independent Film Award, has won two Irish Film & Television Awards, and shared a BAFTA with Michael Fassbender for their crime-drama short film Pitch Black Heist. His film roles include A Little Princess (1995), Jude (1996), Dog Soldiers (2002), The Crooked Man (2003), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Hunger (2008), The Escapist (2008), Good Vibrations (2013), Let Us Prey (2014) and The Childhood of a Leader (2015). In 2020, he was ranked 36 on The Irish Times' list of Ireland's greatest film actors.

Lesley Manville as Professor McGonagall

Lesley Manville is set to play Professor Minerva McGonagall, but she is more recently known for playing Princess Margaret in Netflix’s final two seasons of The Crown. It’s hard to imagine anyone taking on the role previously played by Dame Maggie Smith. However, Manville has superb talent, and I could easily see her capturing the formidable Transfiguration professor’s stage presence.

She is known for her frequent collaborations with Mike Leigh, appearing in the films Grown-Ups (1980), High Hopes (1988), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002), Vera Drake (2004), Another Year (2010), and Mr. Turner (2014). She has been nominated for two British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Another Year (2010) and Phantom Thread (2017), with her performance in the latter earning her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Andy Serkis as Rubeus Hagrid

The kind-hearted gamekeeper Hagrid is set to be played by Andy Serkis, a role previously played by the late great Robbie Coltrane in the film franchise. He is best known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

His other credits include King Kong in the eponymous 2005 film, Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy (2011–2017), Captain Haddock / Sir Francis Haddock in Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin (2011), Baloo in his self-directed film Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018) and Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), also portraying Kino Loy in the Star Wars Disney+ series Andor (2022).

Christopher Eccleston as Professor Snape

Christopher Eccleston could be playing the pivotal role of Professor Snape. Perhaps best known for starring as Doctor Who in the BBC's revival in 2005 of the sci-fi franchise, Eccleston is no stranger to playing complex characters.

A two-time BAFTA nominee, Eccleston's work has spanned television and film, including playing Matt Jamison in The Leftovers (2014–2017) and collaborating with filmmakers Danny Boyle and Michael Winterbottom.

David Tennant as Lord Voldemort/Tom Riddle.

David Tennant is the rumoured choice for Tom Riddle/Voldemort. He may be best known for playing the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who; Tennant has previously played a pivotal role in the Harry Potter films. Tennant played Barty Crouch Jr in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), one of Voldermort's most devoted followers and loyal Death Eater.

He has previously played darker and more sinister roles, so this may fit him well. Outside of Doctor Who, he has starred in the ITV crime drama series Broadchurch (2013–2017) and the Netflix superhero series Jessica Jones (2015–2019),

Ruth Wilson as “Major Villain”

Another name mentioned in the alleged leak was Ruth Wilson, who is said to be in talks for a significant villainous role. As this has not been officially confirmed, I think this may be about Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldermort's most loyal follower who is as unhinged as she is obsessed with He Who Must Not Be Named.

Wilson has recently worked with HBO, starring as the villainous Mrs Coulter in the three-season adaptation of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials. Wilson has the range and talent to play a character like Bellatrix effectively. Interestingly, if this is the case, HBO is thinking years ahead - Bellatrix makes her debut in the fifth book - or we may be getting some flashback episodes early to delve into the origins of these characters.

What are your thoughts on these potential casting choices? Make sure you let us know in the comments!