HBO's Harry Potter TV show casts two actors with "extraordinary talent" as two fan-favorite characters, confirms Dumbledore and Snape roles

HBO has added stage actor Luke Thallon and returning franchise actor Paul Whitehouse to the cast of the upcoming Harry Potter TV show.

Per a new press release, Thallon is set to play Quirinus Quirrell, with Whitehouse, who played Sir Cadogan in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, as Argus Filch. They join John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore; Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall; Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape; and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. All are set to serve as series regulars (though we know what happens to Quirrell at the end of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone).

The upcoming series was originally slated for a 2026 premiere with HBO then moving towards a 2027 release date. Production will begin later this year, and is set to take place in Studio Leavesden, where the film franchise was also produced. Francesca Gardiner will serve as showrunner with Mark Mylod as director.

"We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life," Gardiner said in a statement.

HBO will likely save its casting announcement for Harry, Hermione, and Ron for a later date (and we can only assume unknowns will be cast).

For more HBO, check out our list of the best Max movies and the best Max shows to stream right now.

It is important to note that the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series has been the subject of criticism and debate due to the show's executive producer and author J.K. Rowling's very public and harmful stance on gender identity. It was a similar situation with the Hogwarts Legacy launch. For more, read more about the Hogwarts Legacy controversy.