Published 08:05 19 May 2026 GMT
J.K. Rowling has given her verdict on the newly released cast for HBO's Harry Potter series as anticipation for the show grows.
In a casting announcement that has set the fandom buzzing, newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout have been confirmed as the magical trio, stepping into the roles made iconic by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.
Taking on the role of the Boy Who Lived is Dominic McLaughlin, while Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout will portray Hermione and Ron, respectively.
After the announcement, one fan tweeted Rowling to say they were excited and that the trio is “already loved by the fandom and we can’t wait to see the show.”
The author replied: “All three are wonderful. I couldn’t be happier.”
Rowling, who remains a polarizing figure due to her views on the transgender community, is serving as executive producer on the series.
Despite the controversies, HBO has doubled down on her involvement, emphasizing the focus is firmly on bringing the beloved books to life.
A spokesperson for the network previously said (via Variety): “J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
HBO content chief Casey Bloys echoed that sentiment: “She’s been fairly involved. She was very involved in the process of selecting the writer and director, and I imagine she’ll have opinions on casting. It hasn’t affected the casting or hiring of writers and production staff. So we haven’t felt an impact from that.”
When asked about the backlash to Rowling’s views, Bloys added: “That’s a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into.
“Our priority is what’s on the screen. Obviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our priority – what’s on screen.”
The HBO reboot will span all seven of Rowling’s books across a 10-year series. Each season is set to dive deeper into the magical world than ever before.
Casting announcements began earlier this year, with Jon Lithgow cast as Albus Dumbledore.
Fan-favorite Nick Frost will play Rubeus Hagrid, while Paapa Essiedu is stepping into the iconic robes of Severus Snape. Janet McTeer will portray Minerva McGonagall.
Behind the scenes, the show is in trusted hands. Executive producers include Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman, the producer behind the original films.
Showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner (Succession, His Dark Materials) is writing the series, while Emmy-winner Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones) is directing multiple episodes and also serving as executive producer.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained a relative of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as part of the Trump administration’s intensifying immigration enforcement efforts.
Bruna Caroline Ferreira, the mother of Leavitt’s nephew, was taken into custody in Revere, Massachusetts, according to multiple reports.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told NBC News that Ferreira is a “criminal illegal alien from Brazil” accused of overstaying a tourist visa that expired in 1999.
A White House spokesperson also added: “Karoline had no involvement whatsoever in this matter.”
She was arrested on suspicion of battery and is now being held at a South Louisiana ICE Processing Center nearly 1,700 miles from home.
Ferreira’s sibling, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, has created a GoFundMe campaign seeking funds for legal expenses. The family hopes the support will give Ferreira a “chance to return home to her family.”
On the fundraising page, Rodrigues wrote that Ferreira arrived in the U.S. as a child and had “maintained her legal status through DACA.”
She described her sister as “hardworking, kind, and always the first to offer help when someone needs it.”
Rodrigues added that Ferreira’s 11-year-old son, Michael Leavitt Jr., is struggling without his mother: “Bruna’s absence has been especially painful for her 11-year-old son… who hopes every single day that she’ll be home in time for the holidays.”
NBC reported, however, that Leavitt’s nephew has lived full-time in New Hampshire since birth and has never resided with his mother.
Past reporting from The Cullman Times revealed that Michael Leavitt, Karoline’s brother, had been engaged to Ferreira as recently as 2014.
That same year, he won $1,008,001 in the DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest. “I’m speechless… I can’t believe it,” he said at the time.
Ferreira, quoted in that 2014 article, said she planned to use a portion of the winnings to buy “a lamp for my son’s room,” adding, “We really are blessed.”
The pair reportedly split not long after, and a source told WBUR that Leavitt and Ferreira have been separated for around a decade.
Karoline and Michael Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire with their siblings, where their parents owned a local ice cream shop and a used truck dealership.
Karoline later rose to national prominence as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc. before becoming the face of the Trump administration.
Leavitt has been a vocal supporter of the administration’s strict immigration agenda. Earlier this year, she reiterated Trump’s warnings to those living in the country illegally:
“If you invade our nation’s borders… you are going to be deported… and you may be held at Guantanamo Bay,” she said, via The Independent.
“These are criminals we are talking about – don’t forget that.”
In October, she declined to comment on whether emergency rooms should check a patient’s immigration status, saying the question was better left to “healthcare professionals and legal experts.”
New polling shows growing public discomfort with the administration’s enforcement efforts.
Only 34 percent of Americans now approve of ICE’s activities – down four points from last month.
A year ago, 56 percent supported mass deportations, but a turbulent year of raids across major cities has sharply divided public opinion.
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