HBO’s new ‘Harry Potter’ cast members, confirmed.

HBO is about to find out whether Harry Potter is still popular. The books and the movies are 21st century cultural landmarks, but since The Deathly Hallows Part 2 wrapped up it’s been in slow decline. The Fantastic Beasts franchise fizzled out, various transmedia projects have cratered and, y’know, there’s the whole J.K. Rowling thing.

But HBO and Warner Bros are putting all their eggs in the remake basket, with a mega-budget fresh adaptation of the original books with an all-new cast. Now they’ve confirmed the casting of six key characters. Here they are:

Dumbledore – John Lithgow

No surprises here, given he’d already been all-but confirmed, but John Lithgow will be playing Dumbledore. Renowned across movies, TV, and theater, he’s won two Tony Awards, six Emmys, and two Golden Globes. Notable works include 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, The Crown, and films like Footloose and Interstellar.

Severus Snape – Paapa Essiedu

In a piece of casting guaranteed to cause a lot of debate, Paapa Essiedu, a British actor of Ghanian descent will play Severus Snape. Essiedu has a strong pedigree in the Royal Shakespeare Company, delivering acclaimed lead performances in Hamlet and King Lear. His breakout role in 2020’s I May Destroy You garnered Emmy and BAFTA nominations. Essiedu has also appeared on TV in Gangs of London and The Lazarus Project, and in the films Men and The Outrun.

Janet McTeer – Minerva McGonagall

Janet McTeer is taking over from the much-missed Maggie Smith as McGonagall. In 1997 McTeer won a Tony for A Doll’s House and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for 1997’s Tumbleweeds. Other Notable roles include Albert Nobbs, The White Queen, Ozark, Jessica Jones, and The Menu.

Quirinus Quirrel – Luke Thallon

Playing the (literally) two-faced villain Quirrel will be Luke Thallon, a British actor primarily known for his theater work. He won the Clarence Derwent Award for Leopoldstadt and was nominated for an Evening Standard Award for Albion. Other Notable roles include Hamlet (RSC), Patriots (Broadway), and Present Laughter (Old Vic). On screen, he appeared in The Favourite and A Room with a View.

Hagrid – Nick Frost

In a truly inspired bit of casting, cult TV icon Nick Frost will be playing Hagrid. He rose to fame in classic British comedy Spaced, before becoming a fixture in Edgar Wright’s “Cornetto Trilogy” (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End) alongside Simon Pegg. Frost’s other credits include Into the Badlands and Fighting with My Family.

Argus Filch – Paul Whitehouse

The perpetually grumpy Argus Filch will be played by the altogether more cheery Paul Whitehouse. The British comedy legend co-created The Fast Show, starred in Harry & Paul, Happiness, and co-wrote Only Fools and Horses specials. His movie work includes The Death of Stalin and Ghost Stories. A BAFTA winner, he’s hilarious in Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.

There are, of course, more cast members to come, so we’ll keep this article updated as and when the rest of the Hogwarts teachers and students are confirmed. Here’s hoping we get to see our new Harry, Ron, and Hermione very soon.