Three new wizards are about to embark on their journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as HBO finally confirm the leads for the new Harry Potter TV series.
After an extensive open call involving over 30,000 submission tapes, the final three have been chosen to step into the robes of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The new series welcomes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Of course, those roles were famously originally played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
The Harry Potter reboot is already proving to be one of the most talked about adaptations of the decade, with author J.K. Rowling on board as an executive producer. For such an iconic story and beloved characters fans are curious to see how the film will be reimagined in this brand new era and format.
If you want to know more about the new Hermione Granger then you've come to the right place. An impressive young actress already, there's no doubt Arabella's life is about to change. Will she pronounce 'leviosaaaaaa' in the same way as her predecessor? We'll have to wait to find out.
Who is Arabella Stanton?
Arabella Stanton, 11, is a triple threat, being an actress, singer and dancer who already has a West End leading lady credit under her belt. At just age 9, Arabella played Matilda Wormwood in Matilda the Musical in London’s West End. Reflecting on the eve of her 10th birthday, she posted a picture of her in the show on her parent-managed Instagram account writing in the caption, 'dreams really can come true'. Since Matilda, Arabella has also been in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s play Starlight Express where she played Control.
With a whirlwind of a summer ahead as filming begins, this is Arabella's biggest role yet. Already winning hearts on stages, there’s no doubt she will work her magic on screen too.
What has Emma Watson said about the new Hermoine?
Of course, Arabella has some large wizarding shoes to fill. Emma hasn't commented on the news herself, but the original author JK Rowling wrote, 'All three are wonderful. I couldn't be happier.'
Reflecting on a decade of playing Miss Granger, Emma, who had no acting experience when she got the part, said: 'For the first time I really felt like an actress and I have an idea of what I can be as an actress. And that is very exciting. I've worked with animals, special effects, I've done some serious stunts and I've worked with some of the best actors and actresses in the world.'
'I couldn't have had better training,' she added. 'I feel I've graduated from the most difficult, hard-core film school of all time and I can't believe how lucky I've been. Now I'm ambitious to use what I've learned to do good work.'
She also reflected on the unique challenges of growing up on film sets. 'Not a single second of the day was in my power. I was told what time I'd get picked up, what time I could eat and when I could go to the bathroom..
Emma added, 'I have spent more of my life being someone else than I have being myself. I look back at the early films and see that little girl – and I know it's me but it seems like a different person. It's embarrassing to see myself go through the awkward stages of growing up – my hair was just enormous!'
Who else has been cast in the Harry Potter series?
Other confirmed cast members confirmed include, John Lithgow as Album Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Rumoured names to join the cast include the likes of Cillian Murphy too.
When does the Harry Potter series come out?
The series will premiere on the streaming platform HBO Max in 2026, though an exact date has not yet been confirmed. You'll hear it from us as soon as that changes.