Nostalgic Harry Potter fans confess reboot cast ‘makes them a little sad’

With six members of the new cast revealed, Harry Potter fans are reminiscing about the original films (Picture: Getty)

HBO has officially confirmed six stars joining the Harry Potter TV reboot cast, and the announcement has left fans of the franchise feeling nostalgic.

John Lithgow will be taking on the role of Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu will play Severus Snape, Nick Frost will be Hagrid, Janet McTeer has been confirmed as Professor McGonagall, Luke Thallon will star as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse is set to appear as Argus Filch.

Metro readers have taken to Reddit to express their delight — and their trepidation — at the cast so far.

PeaWaste7407 wrote: ‘Paul Whitehouse as Filch is just perfect. Simplicity in its finest,’ and heyjalapeno said: ‘The casting for Quirrell seems perfect.’

Another user added: ‘Nick Frost is a casting I would have never thought of, but once I heard it, I’m 100% on board and I wouldn’t want anyone else.’

QuizzicalWombat agreed, writing: ‘Nick Frost is my dream casting of Hagrid for the show, I’m really excited for this.’

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However, some fans were concerned about the big shoes that the stars of the HBO reboot will have to fill.

SagesLament commented: ‘Gonna be hard to replace the Hagrid and McGonnagal we grew up with, two of the most perfect castings’.

gibertot said: ‘I find it hard to believe anything from this show will replace the iconic images and castings of the original movies. If it does it will be an extraordinary accomplishment’.

And Pure-Resolve shared: ‘I know this is going to sound silly but it makes me a little sad that there’s going to be a generation of people that don’t picture Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid and even more so Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall.’

Robbie Coltrane’s portrayal of Hagrid is a favourite performance among Harry Potter fans (Picture: Warner Bros) Maggie Smith, who played Professor McGonnagal in the Harry Potter films, passed away in September 2024 (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo) Who's in the confirmed cast list for the Harry Potter TV series so far?

Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch

John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore

Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape

Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall

Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid

Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell

Though the final Harry Potter film was released almost 14 years ago, the franchise has enjoyed enduring appeal across generations.

The huge success of the series has led to numerous spin-offs, including the Fantastic Beasts films (a prequel series to Harry Potter), the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, the Warner Bros Studio Tour and much more.

The TV series reboot is the latest addition to this list, but the appetite for Harry Potter content doesn’t seem to be wearing off.

In fact, a recent YouGov survey found that four in ten Britons plan to watch the HBO series.

Adam Brannon, founder of film and entertainment website Movie Metropolis and a keen Harry Potter fan, told Metro: ‘Harry Potter is one of the biggest franchises of all time, so it makes sense that Warner Bros would try and continue the series in some way…The films hold such a special place in the hearts of fans because of the incredible cast, but also because many people grew up with them.

‘TV seems like a logical next step. It doesn’t tread on the toes of the films too much, and will help introduce a new generation to the series.’

Like Brannon, not all Metro readers are apprehensive about the reboot, with several showering praise on Janet McTeer, who has been cast as McGonagall, in particular.

Reddit user hyperthymetic wrote: ‘I think she’ll do an excellent job as McGonnagal. I always imagined McGonnagal as a bit of a sneak, I think it’s an important part of her character that’s a bit lost in the movies’.

nits6359 added: ‘I loved Maggie Smith as well, but I also love Janet Mcteer. She’s one of those actresses that makes every show they’re in better’.

itsmuddy commented, ‘I loved McTeer in KAOS. I don’t know how anyone could replace Smith but I do think she will do a good job.’

Fans have heaped praise on the casting of Janet McTeer as McGonagall (Picture: Andrew Crowley) Metro's take on the Harry Potter cast

Metro’s Deputy TV Editor, Sabrina Barr, shared her thoughts on the casting of Paapa Essiedu, who is taking on the role of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter TV series.

‘Alan Rickman as Severus Snape is hands down one of the most iconic performances in cinema. Whether you’re a Harry Potter fan or not, this is, in my opinion, an undeniable fact.

‘So it was always going to be a tall order for anyone to follow in his footsteps.

‘The first time I saw Paapa Essiedu act was in the BBC’s I May Destroy You, playing the role of Kwame, best friend to Michaela Coel’s Arabella. His portrayal was as heartfelt as it was haunting, resulting in a well-earned Emmy nomination for best supporting actor.

‘When the rumours emerged that he would be playing Snape in Harry Potter, my first thought was that he’d be able to bring a rawness and gravitas to the role that the brooding Potions Master needs.

‘Despite his prowess as an actor – going on to play the lead in the sci-fi drama The Lazarus Project and star in productions including Black Mirror, Black Doves and The Outrun – some people weren’t happy with the idea of the 34-year-old playing Snape, a wizard who has previously been portrayed on film and on stage by a white actor.

‘However, in my view, there’s no reason why the Head of Slytherin House can’t be played by a Black actor if he’s the best candidate for the part.

‘There has been some concern about flashback scenes that take place in the sixth Harry Potter book, when Snape is bullied by James Potter as a teenager in the 1970s, and the racial implications that could arise if Snape is Black and James and his friends are white. It remains to be seen how this concern will be addressed.

‘When HBO confirmed that Paapa had been cast in the Harry Potter series, he vowed in an Instagram post: ‘We shall eat and we shall leave no crumbs.’ And I have no doubt about it.’

Brannon suggests that part of the reason the HBO Harry Potter cast are facing such scrutiny is not only because the original cast was, as he puts it, ‘one of the greatest ensembles of all time’, but also because a number of those actors are no longer with us.

Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall), Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) and Michael Gambon (Dumbledore) have all passed away since the movies were released, and Brannon notes that the TV cast have ‘big shoes to fill’.

He adds: ‘The best thing the new cast can do is make the character their own, rather than try to imitate.’

Besides nostalgic fans, the news about the Harry Potter reboot has been divisive for other reasons.

Though some have expressed excitement at the idea of a more faithful adaptation of JK Rowling’s books, others have been more sceptical, criticising the move as uncreative.

Some fans have threatened to boycott the Harry Potter reboot over author JK Rowling’s comments about the trans community (Picture: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

Elsewhere, some Harry Potter fans have shared plans to boycott the TV series due to Rowling’s comments about the trans community.

Rowling, 59, serves as an executive producer on the upcoming series. She has been heavily criticised by some for expressing views that have been described as transphobic by the LGBTQ+ community and civil rights groups.  

Several members of the original Harry Potter movie cast have been critical of Rowling’s views on trans people, including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, while others like Miriam Margolyes and Ralph Fiennes have defended her.

What did JK Rowling say?

In 2020, Rowling shared her views about an article which referred to ‘people who menstruate’, questioning why the term ‘women’ was not used. 

She said: ‘If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.

‘The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women—i.e., to male violence—‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences—is a nonsense.

‘I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.’

Her comments led to a wave of backlash and were branded by some as transphobic, while many who claimed they were once fans of Rowling’s work distancing themselves from the author.

Meanwhile, Daniel Radcliffe shared in a statement: ‘I feel compelled to say something at this moment. Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.’

He added: ‘It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.’

Emma Watson shared on X: ‘Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are. I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you, and love you for who you are.’

And Rupert Grint told The Times: ‘I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men.’

Following the official announcement about the HBO TV show, the Wizarding News – a group dedicated to reporting the latest Harry Potter news – called for a boycott, writing on X that ‘any new Harry Potter TV show made with or by JK Rowling will be met with loud and constant protest’.

Responding to the boycott plans, Rowling penned a scathing reply on the social media site, writing: ‘Dreadful news, which I feel duty bound to share. Activists in my mentions are trying to organise yet another boycott of my work, this time of the Harry Potter TV show. As forewarned is forearmed, I’ve taken the precaution of laying in a large stock of champagne.’ 

The Harry Potter TV show will stream exclusively on Max.

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