The upcoming HBO series 'Harry Potter' has been renewed for Season 2 and key characters have been announced, including Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
The upcoming HBO series Harry Potter , which is slated to premiere on Christmas Day 2026, is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious TV projects ever made—and it was already renewed for Season 2.
Francesca Gardiner serves as showrunner, while Mark Mylod is set to direct multiple episodes. Whether you support this venture or not, there's no denying that the production went all out with its vision, particularly in terms of casting.
In addition to the regular professors at the school, several key characters have been announced, with Nick Frost as the beloved half-giant groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, the moody Hogwarts caretaker standing out. They aren't professors, but they are an important part of the Hogwarts faculty; Svetlana Karabut's rumored casting as Professor Septima Vector, the Arithmancy teacher, has yet to be confirmed, but for now, here is every Hogwarts professor confirmed for HBO's Harry Potter series.
Albus Dumbledore Played by John Lithgow Every fan of the Harry Potter universe already knows the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. He's widely regarded as the greatest wizard of the modern era and in the books, he becomes Harry Potter's mentor, guiding him through the dangers of the wizarding world while keeping secrets about his own past. He is renowned for his wisdom, offbeat sense of humor, and formidable magical abilities.
In the films, he was portrayed by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, while his younger version was portrayed by Jude Law, showing Dumbledore's history in the Fantastic Beasts trilogy. In the Harry Potter series, the acclaimed actor John Lithgow will step into the role of Albus Dumbledore. Lithgow has won six Primetime Emmys, two Golden Globes, and two Tony Awards, with nominations for two Oscars, a BAFTA, four Grammys, and four SAG Awards.
As an almost EGOT holder, Lithgow is widely known for his iconic roles as Dick Solomon on the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun and as the chilling Trinity Killer in the prestige drama Dexter. Lithgow is an incredible choice for Dumbledore, but he's also the first American actor to portray the character; he's got great shoes to fill.
Minerva McGonagall Played by Janet McTeer The Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts and the stern but fair Head of Gryffindor House, Minerva McGonagall, is an Animagus who can transform into a cat and serves as Deputy Headmistress to Albus Dumbledore. In the Harry Potter movie series, Professor McGonagall is portrayed by the indomitable Maggie Smith, and the character even appears in the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, where she's played by the Irish actress Fiona Glascott.
McGonagall is one of the few professors who are respected by both students and colleagues, and she plays an important role in Harry Potter's safety throughout his time at Hogwarts. The HBO Harry Potter series will see the legendary Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall. McTeer graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has won numerous awards, including a Tony and a Golden Globe, as well as two Oscar nominations and a Primetime Emmy Award.
She received the Order of the British Empire in 2008 for her contributions to drama; fans might have seen her in the film Tumbleweeds and iconic series like Ozark and Jessica Jones. McTeer's impressive height lends a commanding presence to her portrayal of the authoritative Transfiguration professor that everyone respects and fears around school.
Severus Snape Played by Paapa Essiedu Severus Snape, the Professor of Potions at Hogwarts and Head of Slytherin House, is a complex and mysterious figure; he holds a deep grudge against Harry Potter because of his previous relationship with Harry's parents, James and Lily. Snape's loyalties remain ambiguous throughout the films, making him one of the most intriguing characters in the Harry Potter universe; however, Snape is finally proven to be a protective and redeemable figure, and many fans have grown to love him.
Many fans find it difficult to imagine Severus Snape portrayed by anyone other than Alan Rickman, who gave him his signature style and appearance. Paapa Essiedu will play Severus Snape in the Harry Potter TV series, and his casting has been the source of much debate thus far.
However, Essiedu is not only a well-known British actor with numerous award nominations; he's a classically trained actor and in 2016, he became the first Black actor to play Hamlet in a major Royal Shakespeare Company production, earning prestigious theater nominations. He is best known for his breakout performance as Kwame in Michaela Coel's game-changing series, I May Destroy You, and his lead role in the thriller series The Lazarus Project.
It's understandable that parts of the story don't lend themselves to Essiedu's casting as Snape, but this actor is so versatile and talented that he will undoubtedly be one of the best parts of the Harry Potter TV series. Filius Flitwick Played by Warwick Davis Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House and Professor of Charms at Hogwarts, is a half-goblin wizard with exceptional magical abilities, particularly in the area of charms.
Despite his diminutive stature, he is a formidable duelist and a popular professor who directs the Hogwarts Choir and the annual Frog Choir. Warwick Davis plays him in the Harry Potter film series, and he returns for the TV series adaptation. Davis is a popular actor and television presenter. He began his career at the age of 11 when George Lucas personally cast him as Wicket the Ewok in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.
Aside from Star Wars, Davis is best known for his roles as Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter movie series and the title character in the classic fantasy film Willow. In 2025, he was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship, the highest honor bestowed by the British Academy, and in 2026, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to drama and charity.
Davis is one of the highest-grossing supporting actors of all time, having appeared in two of the most successful film franchises in history, and it will be great to see him return to the Harry Potter universe. COLLIDER. Collider · Quiz Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz Which Force User Are You? Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between The Force is not a binary.
It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.
🔵Jedi Master 🟡Padawan 🔴Sith Lord ⚫Inquisitor ⚪Grey Jedi IGNITE YOUR SABER → QUESTION 1 / 10THE FORCE 01 What is the Force to you? Your relationship with the Force defines everything else. AA living energy I must be worthy of — it is not mine to control. BSomething vast and mysterious I'm only beginning to understand.
CNeither light nor dark — just a current I choose to ride. DPower. Pure and simple. The strong take it; the weak don't.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 2 / 10EMOTION 02 When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do? The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.
AAcknowledge them, then release them. Attachment leads to suffering. BFeel them fully, then decide what to do — they're not the enemy. CBury them.
Emotion is a liability I can't afford to indulge. DUse them. Passion is the engine of the dark side for good reason.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 3 / 10AUTHORITY 03 The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You: How you handle authority reveals your alignment. AFollow it. The Council's wisdom surpasses my own perspective.
BVoice my objection clearly, then defer to the decision. CComply outwardly while doing what I think is right. DIgnore it. The strong don't answer to committees.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 4 / 10TEMPTATION 04 You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You: The dark side's pull is never more than a choice away. ARefuse without hesitation.
There is no cost worth that price. BWeigh it carefully — sometimes darkness holds real answers. CFeel the pull but walk away — for now. DAccept it.
Power justifies the method used to obtain it. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 5 / 10TRAINING 05 Your approach to training and learning is: A student's habits become a master's character. ADedicated but humble. There is always more to learn from my masters.
BRigorous and patient. Mastery is earned through years of discipline. CEclectic — I draw from every tradition, not just one. DRelentless and brutal.
Pain accelerates growth. Rest is weakness.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 6 / 10COMBAT 06 In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects: Combat is the purest expression of a Force user's philosophy. ADefense and composure — I wait for my opponent to overcommit. BFast and instinctive — I trust the Force to guide my movements. CUnpredictable — I blend styles to keep enemies off-balance.
DOverwhelming aggression — I end fights before they begin. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 7 / 10COMPASSION 07 A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You: Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment. AStrike them down — compassion toward enemies is naïve and costly.
BNeutralize them permanently. I can't afford loose ends. CSpare them if I can — but stay clear-eyed about the risks. DOffer them a chance to surrender.
Every being deserves that. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 8 / 10ATTACHMENT 08 The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds: The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy. AThe Code is right.
Attachment clouds judgment and invites suffering. BLove is not a weakness — the Jedi Code got this one wrong. CI have no attachment — only loyalty to my master's mission. DI feel it deeply but struggle to reconcile it with my training.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 9 / 10PURPOSE 09 Why do you use the Force at all? What's the point? Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon. ATo learn.
I'm still figuring out what I'm capable of. BTo protect and serve. The Force is a responsibility, not a gift. CTo survive — and maybe carve out something worth having.
DTo dominate. Strength demands to be expressed, not contained.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 10 / 10THE CHOICE 10 At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins? In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like? AThe light.
I choose peace, even when darkness would be easier. BNeither fully — I carve my own path through the middle. CWhoever I serve — my loyalty defines me more than my morality. DThe dark.
Power is the only thing that's ever actually been real. REVEAL MY ALIGNMENT → Your Alignment Has Been Determined Your Place in the Force The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.
🔵 Jedi Master 🟡 Padawan 🔴 Sith Lord ⚫ Inquisitor ⚪ Grey Jedi JEDI MASTER Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty.
That is courage. PADAWAN You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though.
The question isn't whether you have what it takes — it's whether you'll be patient enough to find out. SITH LORD You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings.
But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side's cruelest trick is that it agrees with you. INQUISITOR You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest.
You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt?
You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you. GREY JEDI You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential.
The Jedi don't fully trust you. The Sith think you're wasting your potential. They're both partially right. But so are you.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ Pomona Sprout Played by Sirine Saba Pomona Sprout, the Herbology Professor and Hufflepuff House Head at Hogwarts, is a kind-hearted and earthy witch who oversees the greenhouses and teaches students about the magical properties of plants. She is fiercely loyal to her students and plays an important role in Hogwarts' defense, particularly during the final battle of the Harry Potter film series.
Miriam Margolyes played Professor Sprout in the film series, and she is a beloved member of the cast, despite once advising devoted adult fans of the story to"grow up.
" Sirine Saba, a British actress of Lebanese descent, was cast as Pomona Sprout in the Harry Potter television series. Saba may not be a household name, but she has built a diverse career in film and television; one of her most notable roles is Patricia Ghraoui in the BBC medical drama Holby City, but she is also best known as a voice actor for the Diablo video games.
Saba is a newcomer, so seeing her as the beloved Professor Sprout should be the best way to usher in the new Harry Potter world. Quirinus Quirrell Played by Luke Thallon Quirinus Quirrell, the stuttering Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, appears nervous and timid, but his fearful demeanor hides a dark secret: he is possessed by Lord Voldemort's spirit.
His classes play an important role in Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts, as the truth about his sinister master is eventually revealed. Quirrell was an integral part of the film series' first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and his casting suggests that the show will follow the events of the first novel—unless something drastically changes. Ian Hart played Professor Quirrell in the film, and his replacement has big shoes to fill.
Luke Thallon, the youngest member of the professors' cast, is a rising star in British theater. While still enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he received prestigious awards from the National Theatre and the Society of London Theatre; in 2022, he was named one of the top twenty-five future theater makers.
With only one uncredited film role and no television roles to date, Luke Thallon is unquestionably a cast member who will represent this new era of Harry Potter. Cuthbert Binns Played by Richard Durden Cuthbert Binns, Hogwarts' ghost professor of Magical History, is so dedicated to teaching that even after his death, he stood up and continued lecturing, seemingly unaware that he is now a ghost.
His classes are notoriously dull, but they contain valuable information about wizarding history, such as the Chamber of Secrets legend. Binns has not appeared in the films, so he is one of the few novel characters who will be brought to life by actor Richard Durden in the Harry Potter television series. Durden, born Mark Richard Durden-Smith, is an English actor who has appeared on television, in films, and on stage.
He began his career in the 1960s and has starred in an impressive body of work over the past six decades, having appeared in several acclaimed productions, including the BAFTA-winning historical thriller Wolf Hall; he's also appeared in the hit BBC comedy Ghosts and the cozy murder mystery series Agatha Raisin. Durden seems like an excellent casting choice for the ghost professor Binns, and we're excited to see his portrayal.
Madam Rolanda Hooch Played by Louise Brealey Madam Rolanda Hooch, the flying instructor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has piercing yellow eyes and a no-nonsense demeanor. She teaches first-year students how to fly broomsticks and officiates Quidditch matches. She is known for her strict yet fair approach, and she takes safety very seriously. In the film series, Zoë Wanamaker plays Madam Hooch, the strict and playful flying instructor from the novel.
Louise Brealey, a successful actress, writer, and journalist, will play Madame Hooch in the television series. She is a versatile performer who has received critical acclaim in a variety of fields; she is best known for her role as Molly Hooper in the BBC's critically acclaimed series Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch. She has also appeared in television shows such as A Discovery of Witches and films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Prior to becoming an actress, Brealey was a successful journalist, critic, and playwright whose works received successful premieres. Brealey is extremely likable, and her presence in the Harry Potter universe will leave us wondering,"Why hasn't Brealey starred in this before?
" Like Follow Followed Harry Potter Adventure Family Fantasy Release Date 2026 - 2026 Showrunner Francisca Gardiner Directors Mark Mylod Writers Francesca Gardiner Cast See All Franchise Harry Potter Main Genre Adventure Seasons 1 Story By JK Rowling Number of Episodes 8 Streaming Service MAX Release Window Christmas 2026 Executive Producer Francesca Gardiner, Mark Mylod, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts, David Heyman, J.K. Rowling Powered by Expand Collapse
Harry Potter HBO TV Series Renewed Showrunner Director Casting Rubeus Hagrid Argus Filch Professor Septima Vector Albus Dumbledore John Lithgow
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