Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, & More Confirmed for HARRY POTTER HBO Series

The HBO Harry Potter series has confirmed the casting of two-time Tony Award and Olivier winner John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Tony Award-winner Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, BAFTA nominee Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and BIFA nominee Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. All will serve as series regulars.

Newly announced guest/recurring cast include Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and five-time BAFTA winner Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch. 

Lithgow previously confirmed the casting to Variety, saying, “It was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid. But I’m very excited.” 

The series is said to be a faithful adaptation of the Harry Potter book series, featuring an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years.

Exploring every corner of the wizarding world, each season will bring Harry Potter and its incredible adventures to new and existing audiences and will stream exclusively on Max where it’s available globally, including upcoming markets such as Turkey, the UK, Germany, and Italy, among others.

The upcoming series is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.

John Lithgow has appeared in numerous projects across theater, film, and television. His notable Broadway roles include The Changing Room (1973, Tony Award), M. Butterfly (1988), Sweet Smell of Success (2002, Tony Award), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005, Tony nomination), and The Columnist (2012). He also starred in King Lear (2014) at Shakespeare in the Park and Hillary and Clinton (2019). He recently won an Olivier Award for his portrayal of author Roald Dahl in the play Giant. The production is expected to transfer to Broadway.

Likewise, Janet McTeer is also a Tony and Olivier Award-winning actress. Her Broadway credits include A Doll's House (1997, Tony Award), God of Carnage (2009), Mary Stuart (2009), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (2016), and Bernhardt / Hamlet (2018). More recently, she appeared in Phaedra at London's National Theatre.

Paapa Essiedu has starred in numerous productions in London, including King Lear at The National Theatre and West End productions, Racing Demon, Pass Over, A Number, and The Effect, which later transferred to New York City's The Shed.

Luke Thallon is a stage performer appearing in Pinter at the Pinter, Present Laughter at the Old Vic, the West End premiere of Leopoldstadt, and the West End and Broadway production of Patriots.