Harry Potter fans are going to take some convincing over any casting choices for the new HBO TV series based on the novels of J.K. Rowling. With a string of potential names having been thrown into the ring by a recent trawl of the internet’s rumor mill, fans have been reacting to the list, which includes the suggestion that Mark Strong is one of the actors being eyed for the role of Albus Dumbledore, and Brett Goldstein is wanted to play Hagrid. The overall impression is that there are many unhappy with the way things are shaping up.
HBO’s Harry Potter TV show is now looking to arrive in late 2026/early 2027, which should mean that there is plenty of time for the casting process to find the perfect candidates to play roles made famous by the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, and more. However, the window is quickly narrowing as the production is expected to kick off filming in around four to six months’ time. Naturally, this has led to many whispers, rumors, “scooper exclusives”, and the usual run of fan castings.
Following the publication of some supposed top choices for several key roles, fans on Reddit immediately began debating – well, decrying – the choices, and going so far as slamming the whole show as “turning into a pantomime” if some of the selections go ahead. One user commented:
“I don’t like these choices. Mark Strong is a good actor, but I don’t see him as Dumbledore at all. Looks like it’s going to be a terrible pantomime at this rate.”
They were not alone in their doubts over some of the mentioned names, with another person adding, “This show is going to be do bad. The casting thus far is terrible.” A third followed up with, “Why do they do this? Is it on purpose? Someone so disgruntled for not receiving a letter at their 11th birthday that they must burn the wizarding world to ground?”
You can see more comments on the original Reddit thread.
Harry Potter is Turning into a Big Gamble for Warner Bros.
It is true that there are very few people who can be pleased all the time, especially when it comes to the output of Hollywood. If studios attempt to make something new and unique, no one watches it, but if they pivot to churning out sequels and cinematic universes, then social media users vocally call out Hollywood for being creatively bankrupt – usually while flocking to cinemas to make the thing they have complained about a huge success.
The Harry Potter movie franchise came to an end just over a decade ago, meaning that this TV reboot has raised even more eyebrows than normal. Audiences have a hard time accepting reboots of movies from over 30 years ago, so the idea that Harry Potter needs to be remade is preposterous to some. There are obviously arguments to the contrary, with the early movies in the franchise skimming the surface of the book to fit within their feature film runtime. Recently, it was revealed that Season 1 of the new show will cover the first novel in Rowling’s seven book set, and will have a runtime of eight hours – around six hours longer than the movie.
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HBO is beginning to round out its rebooted cast for ‘Harry Potter.’
While this should allow a much deeper and richer story to be told, there is still a big problem with casting. The memories of the movies are still so fresh that any choice in the lead roles is going to be compared to those who came before, and between this and the continued unrest over Rowling’s personal social media crusade over transgender issues, it is not going to be an easy road for Harry Potter. Expect to hear more about all of this as the official casting news moves teasingly closer.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Release Date
- November 16, 2001
- Cast
- Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , Emma Watson , Richard Harris , Tom Felton , Alan Rickman , Robbie Coltrane , Maggie Smith , Richard Griffiths , Ian Hart , Fiona Shaw , John Hurt , David Bradley , Matthew Lewis , Sean Biggerstaff , Warwick Davis , Harry Melling , James Phelps , Oliver Phelps , John Cleese , Chris Rankin , Alfred Enoch , Devon Murray , Jamie Waylett , Josh Herdman
- Runtime
- 152 minutes
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