The search for a new trio of actors to play the next Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger has begun.
An open casting call was launched on Monday for children from the UK and Ireland to audition for the lead roles for HBO’s forthcoming television adaptation based on JK Rowling’s best-selling books about the Boy Who Lived.
HBO confirmed the casting call to Variety.
The TV adaption was confirmed by HBO Max last year and aims to be a “faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer JK Rowling”. The series is expected to run for a decade, each season based on one of the seven Rowling books.
The casting call says they are looking for children aged 9 to 11 in April 2025 and who are residents of the UK and Ireland.
It asks the actors to submit two short videos, one of which could be a short poem or story but not from Harry Potter. In the other, the actor could talk about themselves as well as “a family member, friend, or pet that you are particularly close to”.
“We are committed to inclusive, diverse casting,” the casting call says. “For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to ethnicity, sex, disability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis protected by law unless otherwise specifically indicated.”
The deadline for submissions is 31 October 2024.
The series, expected to release in 2026, is set to feature an entirely new cast to the film franchise, which starred Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively.
Fans have pointed out that the estimated start of production in April is seven months away, the same amount of time it had taken to find and cast then 11-year-old Radcliffe in 2000 to play the role of Harry Potter.
At the Drama League Awards in May this year, Radcliffe said he would be happy to watch the new adaptation and didn’t sound too keen on an appearance.
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“Like the rest of the world, I’m very excited to watch as an audience member,” Radcliffe told E! News.
Asked about a possible cameo or guest appearance, he said: “I don’t think so.”
“I think they very wisely want a clean break. And I don’t know if it would work to have us do anything in it. I’m very happy to just watch along with everyone else.”
Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod, known for producing Succession, will serve as creative heads for the series. Gardiner will also serve as showrunner and executive producer. Mylod is slated to executive produce and direct multiple episodes as well.
