HBO adds five new names to Harry Potter
Leo Bill and David Threlfall join the cast of the upcoming HBO Max adaptation.
By Aaron Foster ·
HBO announced five new cast members for its Harry Potter series on October 30, 2026. The additions include Leo Bill, Andrew Brooke, Daniel Fearn, Laura Smyth, and David Threlfall.
Bill will play Nearly Headless Nick. Brooke takes the role of the Bloody Baron, and Fearn is cast as the Fat Friar. Smyth will portray the Fat Lady, while Threlfall provides the voice for the Sorting Hat.
The network shared the news via an Instagram post captioned with the question, “Who haunts these halls?” The characters Nick, the Baron, and the Friar are ghosts at Hogwarts. They, along with the portrait of the Fat Lady, verify the password to allow Gryffindor students into their dormitory.
The Sorting Hat decides which house new students join upon arrival at the school. The first season, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is scheduled to debut on HBO Max on Christmas Day 2026.
Dominic McLaughlin leads the main cast as Harry Potter. Alastair Stout plays Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton plays Hermione Granger. J.K. Rowling serves as an executive producer for the project, which is described as a faithful adaptation of her books.
HBO renewed the series for a second season on May 6, 2026. That renewal occurred months before the premiere of the first season.
