HBO’s Harry Potter series has officially cast its golden trio of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, and may have fixed a major problem from the movies in the process. With the recent news that screen newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton will soon fill the shoes vacated by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, the streaming series seems to be taking strides to address one of the more common criticisms of the films: the lack of racial and ethnic diversity.
Set largely in England and Scotland and released between 2000 and 2011, the Harry Potter films were often criticized for their largely white cast. A handful of non-white actors played minor characters with limited screen time, including Ministry of Magic wizard Kingsley Shacklebolt and students Dean Thomas, Angelina Johnson, Parvati and Padma Patil, and Cho Chang.
However, the Harry Potter series seems to be confirming a 2023 report from entertainment insider Jeff Sneider, which claimed that there is a "concerted effort" to cast "more people of color" in the adaptation, with Hermione reportedly high on the list of possibilities. With its recent casting for Hermione and Hogwarts potions professor Severus Snape, both of whom were portrayed by white actors in the films, Warner Bros. may be following through on that promise.
How Does the Harry Potter Series Cast Fix Potter’s Diversity Issues?
Stanton, whose ethnically ambiguous appearance quickly became a popular topic of conversation online after news of her casting spread, is best known for her leading role in the West End production of Matilda The Musical from September 2023 to March 2024. She was cast alongside McLaughlin and Stout following an extensive casting process that saw roughly 32,000 children between the ages of 9 and 11 audition for the Harry Potter series’ iconic main roles.
The initial casting call emphasized its commitment to "inclusive, diverse casting" and asked agents to "submit qualified performers, without regard to ethnicity, sex, disability, race, sexual orientation and gender identity."
Francesca Gardiner, who will serve as showrunner and a writer on the series, and director Mark Mylod, worked on the critically acclaimed HBO drama Succession and released a joint statement about the casting news:
"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."
The call for diversity and inclusivity seems to have extended beyond its main trio, as British-Ghanaian actor Paapa Essiedu will portray the complex and mysterious Hogwarts professor, Severus Snape, originally brought to life by the late Alan Rickman.
By casting Stanton and Essiedu in pivotal roles, HBO's adaptation appears to be making a conscious effort to reflect a more diverse and inclusive wizarding world that better reflects the real world. Other previously announced cast members include John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, and Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell. There is no projected release date yet for the Harry Potter reboot apart from a 2026 timeframe.
The Harry Potter Series Is Not the First Time a Non-White Actress Played Hermione
Stanton’s casting as Hermione in the Harry Potter series now marks the ninth time the character has been portrayed by a non-white actress. In 2015, South African-British actress Noma Dumezweni made global headlines when she originated the role on stage in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child during its original West End run. Dumezweni went on to win the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Since then, six other Black actresses have portrayed Hermione in productions worldwide, including Jenny Jules, Paula Arundell, Yanna McIntosh, Lily Mojekwu, Jillian Anthony, and Sarah Afful. Black Canadian actress Erica Luttrell also voiced Hermione in the 2019 augmented reality game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
With the casting of Stanton and Essiedu, the Harry Potter series seems to be following an example set by another popular Young Adult book adaptation, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. That successful series, set to begin filming its third season in July 2025, also famously cast actors of color in several prominent roles, most of which had been written or portrayed as white in other media.
Unprecedented Challenges Loom Large For the Harry Potter Series
HBO’s Harry Potter series, described as a faithful adaptation of author J.K. Rowling's seven-book saga, is set to premiere in 2026, though no official release date has been announced. The show aims to offer a fresh perspective while honoring the beloved story by exploring the rich details of the source material.
That said, the controversial author, who will also serve as one of the show’s executive producers, continues to cast a dark shadow over the production and her Wizarding World as a whole due to her blatant transphobic rhetoric, which has alienated many fans while raising questions regarding how truly inclusive the series will be.
With production set to begin this summer and sets for the series being built at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, those following the upcoming reboot will likely hear more casting announcements in the coming weeks.
