John Lithgow, Nick Frost, and more

 Yer a wizard, John.

Emmy and Tony-winning actor John Lithgow is officially confirmed to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming small-screen adaptation of the Harry Potter book series, stepping into the role played by both Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in the films. Lithgow announced his casting back in February, but he now has costars.

Ozark star Janet McTeer tackles Minerva McGonagall, the role Maggie Smith made famous; I May Destroy You actor Paapa Essiedu takes on Severus Snape, Alan Rickman’s beloved anti-hero from the films; and rounding out the cast of series regulars, Nick Frost steps into the giant shoes of Rubeus Hagrid, the kindly Hogwarts groundskeeper who had been played by Robbie Coltrane. Smith died in 2024, Rickman in 2016, and Coltrane in 2022.

Several other coveted and widely speculated-over roles — including the titular role, of course, as well as Voldemort, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger — still remain unannounced. But the network did name two more actors in recurring roles: British stage actor Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell (portrayed by Ian Hart in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) and veteran Welsh comedic actor Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch (David Bradley across the Potter films).

“We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard,” showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner and director and executive producer Mark Mylod said in a statement. “We can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.”

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A Harry Potter TV series was first announced in April 2023. While Warner Bros. Discovery noted that the author of the children’s book series out of which the massive, multimedia franchise sprang — the controversial J.K. Rowling — would executive produce, her involvement in the series would be limited.

HBO and Max CEO Casey Bloys clarified last November that Rowling remained “fairly involved” despite her virulent anti-transgender views, noting that he expected Rowling to “have opinions on casting.” But the views that have led franchise star Daniel Radcliffe and others to speak out against her haven’t “affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff or anything, so we haven’t felt any impact from that,” according to Bloys.

A casting call for actors to play Harry, Ron, and Hermione was launched last September, requesting children between the ages of 9 and 11 who are residents of the U.K. or Ireland.

Many have weighed in on who else they’d like to see in the series, including White Lotus star Jason Isaacs, who nominated Meryl Streep to replace him in the role of Lucius Malfoy, whom he played in six Potter films.

Chris Columbus, who directed the first two films in the franchise, said it would be “amazing” to see Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy as the all-powerful Lord Voldemort, who was portrayed by a number of actors across the Potter films, most notably Ralph Fiennes.