Warner Bros. Discovery announced that its upcoming “Harry Potter” series will start shooting this summer at Leavesden, where the movies were also filmed.
During a presentation at the Warner Bros. Discovery’s headquarters in London on Thursday, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod revealed that the show had auditioned 32,000 kids for the lead roles, and that the casting team is currently reviewing between 500 and 1,000 audition tapes per day with the intent to watch every single one. Though he affirmed they haven’t made any final choices in regards to casting yet, Mylod said the next step will be to “workshop with some of our shortlisted candidates” in January.
Gardiner and Mylod also said they will be sticking to correct canonical ages for the characters: Severus Snape (potentially being played by Paapa Essiedu) will be in his 30s, while James and Lily Potter will be younger, as they were only 21 when they died. Mylod teased that for the adult characters, he’s looking to continue the tradition of “brilliant theater actors in the U.K.,” with the young actors of course all being newcomers.
With the “Harry Potter” series being set to air over the course of a decade, Gardiner said she was excited to “really dig into the character arcs” and explore Hogwarts more, including the lives of its staff, beloved and feared alike. Mylod agreed that their intention was not to “undo what was done so brilliantly” with the movies, but to evolve it. When it comes to the sets, Mylod said they don’t want to “mess with” the Great Hall but he’s looking forward to expanding upon the architecture of Hogwarts and showing how it may have changed over time.
The “Harry Potter” series was officially ordered at Max in April 2023, and it was announced that it would feature an entirely new cast from the popular films. In September, the series opened a casting call for the roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione and said they were “committed to inclusive, diverse casting.” Though it is still unknown who will be playing the intrepid trio, Variety revealed last month that Mark Rylance is at the top of the cashing wishlist to play beloved Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore.
The run-up to the series has not been without controversy, however, as book author J.K. Rowling has continued to cause backlash with her views on transgender identity. However, HBO has stood by her side, telling Variety in a statement last month: “J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
At Thursday’s event, HBO chief Casey Bloys doubled down on that sentiment, saying that he’s “totally comfortable” with Rowling’s involvement and “not concerned about consumer response.”
Other shows previewed at the London showcase include Season 3 of “The White Lotus,” which promised more sex, lies and debauchery; Season 2 of “The Last of Us,” which showed a sneak peek at the trials awaiting Ellie and Joel; new crime series “Task” from “Mare of Easttown” writer Brad Ingelsby, starring Mark Ruffalo; “It: Welcome to Derry,” the trailer for which drew audible gasps from the room full of journalists; and “Game of Thrones” spinoff “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” which offered a lighter, more humorous take on George R. R. Martin’s epic world.