All the approved actors of the "Harry Potter" series from HBO: who will play the iconic characters

Who has been appointed as the director of the School of Magic? Who will take on the role of the Hogwarts caretaker? And who will become Minerva McGonagall?

Over the past few months, HBO has been gradually revealing the names of actors who will play the central characters in the upcoming series based on J.K. Rowling's books about the young wizard confronting global evil.

According to the company's official announcement, they will appear over seven seasons—one for each book—spanning at least ten years.

Actors Alan Rickman in a black robe, Daniel Radcliffe with a wand in hand, Michael Gambon in a gray robe — Scenes from the movie 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'

Our editorial team has put together a brief guide on who we will see in new robes.

Harry Potter — Dominic McLaughlin. A young actor with dark hair and a kind look. Almost a perfect match for the book image (after, of course, Daniel Radcliffe).

Ron Weasley — Alastair Stout. Red-haired, charming, and judging by the photo, absolutely in the spirit of the Weasleys. Let's see if he'll be as scared of spiders as his predecessor, Rupert Grint.

Actors Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton sitting on the grass and smiling — Actors playing Hermione, Harry, and Ron in the new HBO series

Hermione Granger — Arabella Stanton. She resembles the book prototype and Emma Watson from the franchise the least. Arabella has a darker complexion and dark hair.

Albus Dumbledore — John Lithgow. The 79-year-old actor, Oscar nominee and star of 'Interstellar,' calls this project 'the last chapter of his career.'

Actor John Lithgow in a suit and glasses stands emotionless and looks to the side — John Lithgow to play Dumbledore

For the first time, Dumbledore will be played by an American, not a Brit. This fact has even upset some fans. However, Lithgow himself is confident that he will handle the role: "I'm not English, though I've played an Englishman on television," the actor admitted.

Hagrid — Nick Frost. Yes, the very same from 'Shaun of the Dead.' The perfect match: kind, charismatic, and, according to fans, seemingly made for this role.

Actor Nick Frost in glasses drinks juice from a cardboard box through a straw and looks at the camera — Nick Frost to play Hagrid

Severus Snape — Paapa Essiedu. Known for his roles in 'I May Destroy You' and 'The Lazarus Project.' The actor faces a challenging task — to recreate a character that has become iconic thanks to the late Alan Rickman.

Actor Paapa Essiedu stands in blue clothing and looks at the camera, raising an eyebrow — Paapa Essiedu to play Snape

Minerva McGonagall — Janet McTeer. An Oscar and Emmy nominee with a strong theater background. Perfectly fits the role of a professor, skilled in both transfiguration and sarcasm.

Actress Janet McTeer sitting in a white blouse with a glass in hand — Janet McTeer to play McGonagall

You may remember her from 'Into the Storm,' 'Sense and Sensibility,' 'Me Before You.'

Argus Filch — Paul Whitehouse. He previously appeared in 'Prisoner of Azkaban' as Sir Cadogan, and now returns as the grumpy caretaker with a cat on his shoulder.

Actor Paul Whitehouse stands in a black suit against a backdrop of white tulle and looks at the camera — Paul Whitehouse to play Filch

Quirinus Quirrell — Luke Tallon. A theatrical actor with almost no film career, but that's the point: the series clearly bets on new faces.

Actor Luke Tallon smiles against a green wall — Luke Tallon to play Quirrell

Filming is set to begin in summer 2025, with the premiere likely in 2027. According to HBO, the show will feature previously unfilmed scenes.

Previously, we at zoomboola.com reported that an actor from the original franchise will join the series development. Find out who in our article.