HBO’s upcomingHarry Potterreboot TV series may look a little different than the original films in terms of casting.
Recently, HBO announced the rebranding of HBO Max as “Max” and dropped news of upcoming projects on the way, including a TV series adaptation of theHarry Potteruniverse based onJK Rowling’s popular series of novels. The novels were made into eight different films, beginning with 2001’sHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stoneand ending with the two-partHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsin 2011. Each film release was a huge draw for adult and children’s audiences alike, grossing over $7.7. billion in theaters for the franchise.
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Amid plans for aHarry Potterseries adaptation, many have been speculating on what that may look like, including casting, which according to film-critic Jeff Snieder onThe Hot Micpodcast, might be a much more diverse interpretation of the characters. According to Snieder, while the series creators have said theHarry Pottershow will remain a faithful adaptation of Rowlng’s novels, the showrunners may be making a concerted effort for more diverse casting involving people of color. According to Sneider, this will also include greater diversity and equity behind the camera, including the choice of the show’s writers.
The original trio of lead actors in theHarry Pottermovies,lead star Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, whose roles cemented their fame and resulted in their increasing demand in Hollywood, owe much to the franchise, which is in a great place to set a new batch of young stars on the map. A more diverse cast rounds out a number of recent reboots and remakes that feature a greater variety of ethnicities on the big and small screen in recent years, including the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’sThe Little Mermaid. While audiences have usually accepted these shifts with a positive response, they are also often equally met with naysayers and reactionary responses to more progressive and diverse casting.
With the precedent of a Black actress, Noma Dumezweni, having portrayed adult Hermione on U.S. and U.K. stages in the adaptation ofHarry Potter and the Cursed Child,it’s entirely possible that the young heroine will be cast with that in mind. Diversification of casting opens up many doors, particularly for young and emerging fans of the franchise, to see themselves reflected as part of theHarry Potteruniverse. While details on the new series are still few and far between, it offers a great opportunity to level up representation and casting opportunities for actors of color.
