HBO Picks 11-Year-Old Dominic McLaughlin to Play Harry Potter in New TV Series

An 11-year-old from Scotland, Dominic McLaughlin, will step into the wizard world as Harry Potter in HBO's fresh take on the series. The cameras started rolling this past July for what's set to be a multi-season run through all seven books.

"It was like the dream role, of course," McLaughlin told the BBC when asked what it was like to play that role on set. "I was always a huge Harry Potter fan when I was younger. I'm thrilled to be able to be doing it, he expressed, adding, "It was a bit surreal to be honest."

McLaughlin won't stand alone in the spotlight. Arabella Stanton takes on the quick-witted Hermione, while Alastair Stout brings Ron to life. Screen veterans round out the cast, as John Lithgow dons Dumbledore's robes, Janet McTeer transforms into McGonagall, and Nick Frost becomes the gentle giant Hagrid.

The show's early cuts caught the eye of J.K. Rowling. She burst onto social media in June, writing, "I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!" Though not penning the scripts, she keeps close watch over the writing process.

Veterans of the original Harry Porter series have thrown their support behind the new cast. Jason Isaacs praised Johnny Flynn, the new Lucius Malfoy on X, shortly after the casting was announced. "A fantastic actor, a lovely man and, irritatingly, a rather brilliant musician too. Couldn't have handed the snake-topped baton on to anyone better. Just please don't make him sing...," he wittily posted online.

Bonnie Wright, the original Ginny Weasley, also shared wisdom for the newcomers during a chat with PEOPLE this May. "I think every actor stepping into all the roles, I hope, really go from the book and they take their interpretation of the characters from the book as the original source of material," she stated. 

"And I just hope they do what they wanna do and they make their character who they envision Ginny to be," the actress said.

When rumors of hidden messages reflecting anti-trans views in the show started swirling, HBO CEO Casey Bloys cut through the noise. "Harry Potter is not being secretly infused with anything," he stated on The Town podcast. "I think it's pretty clear that those are her personal political views. And she's entitled to those views."

The rumors started when actor Essiedu signed an open letter of solidarity with the trans community after Rowling celebrated the ruling that aimed to ban trans women from being legally defined as women after joining the series cast.

Upon seeing that, fans started speculating that Rowling might fire Essiedu from the series, a claim that the author shut down fast. "I don't have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn't exercise it if I did. I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine."

This marks the first time Potter's world will hit screens since the movies wrapped in 2011. While HBO keeps the exact launch date under wraps, word on the street points to 2027 for the big reveal.