It's a very ambitious project that the streaming platform Max has embarked on by announcing a new series that retraces the adventures of the most famous bespectacled wizard. And for good reason, Harry Potter consists of 7 books that fans know by heart, which must be respected to the letter, but also 8 highly appreciated films that must at least match, while avoiding being too similar or too different. A real challenge. Yet, the production company is not backing down, and is even tackling the concrete development of the series by finally revealing the first names!
A casting that divides
A few months ago, the in charge of the entire production. On one side, the overall supervision of the saga has been entrusted to the screenwriter Francesca Gardiner, known for her incredibly successful creations like Killing Eve and His Dark Materials. She will be joined on the directing side by Mark Mylod, who has worked on several episodes of Game of Thrones, and more recently, The Last of Us. The series also marks the grand return of the legendary producer David Heyman, who produced the films.
Que pensez-vous du choix de casting de Paapa Essiedu qui incarnera le Professeur Rogue dans la nouvelle série Harry Potter ? pic.twitter.com/uitILpZtF5
— Le Lapin du Futur (@LeLapinDuFutur) March 14, 2025
To complement this fantastic team, the first confirmed actors have been announced in recent weeks by the channel. We’ll likely see John Lithgow, known for his roles in Interstellar, The Crown, and more recently, Conclave, taking on the role of Albus Dumbledore. This choice seems to delight fans, unlike the choice of Paapa Essiedu, who will step into the role of Professor Snape. And we see where you're coming from, there's no talk of racism here (at least for those with a bit of sense), but rather about credibility, as the character is described in the books as ugly and really unpleasant, while the actor, on the other hand, is clearly quite handsome and looks like a sweet little lamb.
Rumors
If the announcement of the first cast members has put an end to certain rumors, such as those claiming the return of Gary Oldman (Sirius Black) in the role of Dumbledore, others, on the other hand, are picking up speed and might even be on the verge of becoming a reality. This is particularly true for the potential appearance of Nick Frost (Good Morning England, The World's End) who might step into the shoes of Hagrid. Nothing has been confirmed by the production so far, but the tip was shared by a Reddit user who had already predicted correctly about the first two confirmed actors. Let’s just say it’s definitely increased the odds.
Peu importe le casting de la série Harry Potter je vais râler et comparer mais je serais la première devant ma télé avec mon Nimbus 2000 et mes chocogrenouilles à regarder. pic.twitter.com/g0AuO8S0IQ
— 𝕵𝖊𝖓𝖓𝖎𝖋𝖊𝖗 (@DustofMermaid) March 7, 2025
But the real question we all have is whether some movie actors will make their grand return for the series, potentially in a different role. And while, for now, Daniel Radcliffe has clearly announced that he won't be joining, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, has been dropping hints since the series announcement, saying that he would really, really love to return in the role of his fictional dad, Lucius Malfoy. And we must admit that it's a choice we wouldn't mind at all. Just saying…