Movies

‘Harry Potter’ TV Show Announces First Cast Members

BBG News

The revival of the Harry Potter universe on television is progressing, as HBO has unveiled the initial group of grown-up actors set to appear in the forthcoming series.

John Lithgor portrays Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer takes on the role of Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu plays Professor Snape, and Nick Frost embodies Hagrid, the groundskeeper.

Two additional actors have been confirmed for their roles: Luke Thallon portraying Quirinus Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, and Paul Whitehouse taking on the character of Rubeus Hagrid’s assistant, Mr. Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker.

In the Harry Potter film series, Richard Harris initially portrayed certain roles, with Michael Gambon taking over from him later on. Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Hart, and David Bradley also starred in their respective roles. As for the main characters – Harry Potter and his fellow students – no announcements have been made yet regarding who will be cast to play them.

The upcoming series aims to reboot the well-known Harry Potter movie series anew, following each season’s storyline based on a different book written by J.K. Rowling, beginning with “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (or Sorcerer’s) Stone.

Here is the series’ official synopsis:

This series is a loyal portrayal of J.K. Rowling’s iconic “Harry Potter” book series, with an impressive ensemble of skilled actors set to captivate a fresh wave of fans. The series promises to delve into every nook and cranny of the enchanting wizarding world, providing new and old enthusiasts with season after season of Harry Potter’s magical adventures. Exclusively streaming on Max, this series will be accessible worldwide, reaching markets such as Turkey, the UK, Germany, Italy, and many more. The original “Harry Potter” movies are still a cornerstone of the franchise, available for viewing everywhere.

HBO and Max have yet to announce a premiere date for the series.

25 Actors Who Turned Down Huge Movie Roles

Halle Berry – Speed’s Annie

Halle Berry candidly admitted in 2019 that she regretfully declined the role of Annie, the heroic bus driver in the movie Speed. The part eventually went to Sandra Bullock, who was relatively unknown with only a few roles at that time. As fate would have it, Speed turned out to be a blockbuster hit and catapulted Bullock to stardom. Berry later explained her decision by stating that in the script she read, the bus didn’t even leave the parking lot, suggesting a less thrilling movie experience.

Emily Blunt – Black Widow

Emily Blunt, with her captivating charm, knack for light humor, and background in action films, appears to be an ideal fit for Marvel productions. It’s somewhat surprising she hasn’t been cast in a Marvel film before, but it’s not due to a lack of opportunities. Her initial chance came in Iron Man 2 when she was offered the role of Black Widow. Unfortunately, Blunt had to turn down the offer because she was already bound by contract to work on Gulliver’s Travels at the same time. As Blunt shared with Howard Stern, “It was a bit disappointing for me.” Scarlett Johansson ultimately took on the role of Natasha Romanoff, appearing as the Avenger in eight Marvel films so far.

Jessica Chastain – Maya Hansen

Following the success of “The Tree of Life” and “Zero Dark Thirty”, Jessica Chastain found herself in high demand by numerous studios across Hollywood, even Marvel Studios approached her for the role of Maya Hansen, the pivotal scientist in “Iron Man 3”. However, Chastain considered it but ultimately declined, citing a full schedule as the reason on her Facebook page. She also expressed disappointment that news of her involvement had been prematurely announced. “Perhaps there’ll be another Marvel film for me down the line,” she said. And indeed, there was – albeit not with Marvel, but Fox’s “Dark Phoenix”, where she portrayed Vuk. Rebecca Hall, who played Maya Hansen, delivered a commendable performance in the film.

Russell Crowe – Wolverine

Prior to Hugh Jackman taking on the role, it was initially Russell Crowe who was slated for the part of Logan in Fox’s X-Men series. At that time, Crowe was one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars. He later admitted he declined the offer because he had recently finished filming Gladiator, where his character featured a wolf at the center of his armor and a wolf as a companion, which he thought would overshadow the role at the time. Hence, he didn’t want to be associated with anything “wolfy.” Crowe then recommended Jackman for the part, although Jackman initially missed out on the role (the studio initially chose Dougray Scott, but he had scheduling conflicts with Mission: Impossible II and eventually dropped out). However, it was eventually the role that catapulted Jackman to stardom. Later, Crowe joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder. As of now, Hugh Jackman remains Wolverine.

Matt Damon – Avatar’s Jake Sully

It’s quite likely that no actor has ever turned down a role as costly as Matt Damon did when it comes to lost earnings. During the casting for James Cameron’s film, Avatar, Damon was approached to play Jake Sully. Not only was he offered 10% of the movie’s backend, but also the chance to reprise his role from The Talented Mr. Ripley. However, at that moment, Damon was preoccupied with the Jason Bourne series and had to pass on the offer. Today, he admits this decision might have cost him around $250 million. That’s a significant amount of money, enough to buy a substantial quantity of the fictional mineral “unobtanium” depicted in the film.

Benicio Del Toro – Darth Maul

Benicio Del Toro wasn’t only given the part of Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace; he chose to take it. However, as the role was reshaped during pre-production, and George Lucas reduced more and more of his dialogue to make him a more menacing, silent figure with exceptional fighting abilities, Del Toro opted to depart from the project. In the end, it was Ray Park who played the character to great praise.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Boogie Nights’ Dirk Diggler

Back in 2008, GQ questioned Leonardo DiCaprio about the roles he regretted turning down. One such role was that of Dirk Diggler in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights,” a part which catapulted Mark Wahlberg into Hollywood stardom as a leading man. However, DiCaprio found himself at a crossroads between projects and opted to work on a smaller art-house film titled “Titanic” instead, a decision that centered around a romance unfolding on the high seas. Although DiCaprio didn’t express regret for his choice, he acknowledged, “I think they’re both great, and I wish I could have done them both.

Harrison Ford – Jurassic Park’s Alan Grant

If you’ve ever noticed a resemblance between the character Alan Grant from Jurassic Park (portrayed by Sam Neill) and Indiana Jones, given his worn work shirts and hats, then your observation was accurate. Initially, director Steven Spielberg had considered Harrison Ford for the role of the courageous paleontologist, but Ford himself declined the part after reading the script. Instead, Neill joined the project only a few weeks before filming started, ultimately landing one of the most memorable roles in his career.

Jon Hamm – Green Lantern

In the annals of acting, few have embodied the character Hal Jordan from Green Lantern comics as convincingly as Jon Hamm from Mad Men. Consequently, it’s no wonder that Warner Bros. pursued Hamm for the role, but he declined. As he later revealed in an interview, “They went after me quite persistently, but I just wasn’t feeling it.” Hamm confessed that he isn’t particularly fond of superhero films, stating, “I don’t typically enjoy going to see those kinds of movies.” However, this doesn’t seem to deter him from voice acting in them on television. In fact, Hamm has provided voices for numerous comic-book shows, including Invincible and M.O.D.O.K., where he portrayed Tony Stark in multiple episodes.

Josh Hartnett – Superman AND Batman

In the early 2000s, the promising actor Josh Hartnett was seriously considered for the Superman role in “Superman Returns,” a part he ultimately declined. The proposed deal included a three-film contract worth an estimated $100 million. Remarkably, Hartnett also declined the chance to portray both members of the World’s Finest team, as he was also in contention for the young Bruce Wayne role in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.” Years later, Hartnett admitted that turning down Nolan was a regretful decision. According to an interview with Playboy, Hartnett stated, “I’ve certainly said no to some of the wrong people.” He turned down opportunities because he was fatigued and desired more time with friends and family, which is not typically appreciated in Hollywood.

Jim Henson – Yoda

When George Lucas decided to make the character of wizened Jedi master Yoda a puppet, he first thought Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets and the man behind Kermit the Frog, would be perfect for bringing Yoda to life. However, Henson was occupied with his own projects at the moment, and suggested that Lucas collaborate with Frank Oz, a long-time partner of Henson’s on the Muppets and the performer of Fozzy, Miss Piggy, and Animal. Taking Henson’s advice, Lucas teamed up with Oz, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Hugh Jackman – James Bond

The quest to find the ideal actor to portray the young James Bond in the origin story ‘Casino Royale’ went through countless options before settling on Daniel Craig, who proved to be one of the greatest 007s ever. Interestingly, the role was initially offered to Hugh Jackman, who was just starting out as Wolverine in the X-Men series. However, he declined the offer, presumably due to concerns about juggling another franchise while missing out on smaller projects that might come his way. Nevertheless, if you’re interested, Amazon is currently searching for a new James Bond, Hugh. Maybe it’s worth giving them a call and seeing if they’re still considering you.

Heath Ledger – Batman

Initially, Heath Ledger was Christopher Nolan’s choice for Batman in “Batman Begins,” but the role of the young Bruce Wayne was offered to him. However, Ledger declined the offer, stating he wouldn’t be part of a superhero film. Later, when he saw Nolan’s unique take on Batman in “Batman Begins,” which differed significantly from the more campy DC movies of that era, Ledger was open to joining the cast for “The Dark Knight” and playing the iconic role of the Joker.

Madonna – Catwoman

In the early 1990s, when Tim Burton was preparing to cast Batman Returns, Madonna’s acting career was at its height. He proposed that she play the Catwoman, a role and actress pairing that seemed almost tailor-made. However, Madonna declined the offer. Many years later, she expressed her regret over this decision to Jimmy Fallon, saying “Turning down Catwoman was pretty fierce.” Eventually, Michelle Pfeiffer took on the part, and she certainly lived up to being fierce.

Matthew McConaughey – Ego

In the casting process for Star-Lord’s father in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, Marvel aimed to bring in a well-known actor who could convincingly be the father of Chris Pratt, given his chiseled good looks and charm. They considered Matthew McConaughey, despite a minor age discrepancy (they were born only ten years apart). However, when dealing with immortal space gods, age is essentially irrelevant. When asked about why he declined the role, McConaughey didn’t cite the age difference as an issue. Instead, he explained that he had to choose between “Guardians” and “The Dark Tower”, opting for the latter. He felt that the filmmakers may not have been fully invested in him or had a clear vision for the character of Ego, but rather saw it as an opportunity to add another big-name actor to a successful franchise. (Apologies for any mishaps.)

Eddie Murphy – Who Framed Roger Rabbit’s Eddie Valiant

In simpler terms, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is now recognized as a revolutionary mix of live-action and animation. However, before its release, the idea of creating a film with animated characters convincingly intermingling with human actors for over 100 minutes was considered quite risky. Initially, Eddie Murphy declined the opportunity to portray the main human character, Eddie Valiant, doubting that such a concept could work. As he put it on “The Tonight Show”, “That sounds like nonsense to me!” However, upon the movie’s release and its tremendous success, Murphy recognized his error. He admitted to Jimmy Fallon, “Every time I watch it, I feel like a fool.”

This version aims to make the text easier to understand and more conversational in tone.

Al Pacino – Han Solo

It’s tough to conceive of anyone else but Harrison Ford embodying Han Solo, a fact Alden Ehrenreich can attest to. However, Ford wasn’t the original choice for the role. At one time, George Lucas attempted to cast Al Pacino, who was already famous from “The Godfather,” as the charismatic smuggler. Pacino declined because he found the script confusing. If Pacino had taken this role and Ford hadn’t, Hollywood might look quite different today.

Joaquin Phoenix – Doctor Strange

The quest to find Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme was a lengthy process, involving actors such as Ethan Hawke, Oscar Isaac, and Keanu Reeves at different stages. Joaquin Phoenix came extremely close to securing the role, reportedly engaging in discussions with director Scott Derrickson for Doctor Strange in June 2014. However, by October, the deal fell through, and eventually Benedict Cumberbatch was cast as Marvel’s magical protagonist. Phoenix later stated, “Everyone seemed quite content with how things unfolded. All parties were pleased.” Interestingly, Phoenix subsequently portrayed the Joker for Warner Bros and won an Oscar for his performance. Indeed, everyone appeared to be content (until the Joker sequel).

Julia Roberts – Sleepless in Seattle’s Annie

As a passionate cinephile, I can’t help but reflect on the captivating impact of “Sleepless in Seattle.” It’s one of those timeless movies that, even if unseen, its charm is universally acknowledged. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan deliver an enchanting tale of long-distance love. However, the romantic landscape might have shifted dramatically had Julia Roberts chosen to embody the female lead instead. Years after, Roberts admitted her contentment with turning down the role, stating that the script felt too reminiscent of her previous role in “Pretty Woman,” which she had portrayed a few years prior.

Kurt Russell – Luke Skywalker

In the mid-1970s, a large number of aspiring actors tried out for the role in “Star Wars”, including Kurt Russell, a former child star who was one of the finalists for the part of Luke Skywalker, the intergalactic farmboy. However, as the casting process took longer than expected, Russell had other opportunities to consider and ultimately gave George Lucas an ultimatum: Either he would be given the role or he would go make something else. Since Lucas couldn’t give him a definitive answer, Russell decided to take a Western role instead, leaving one less actor for Lucas to consider. Now, one might wonder how many baskets of fruit Mark Hamill has sent Kurt Russell over the years as a token of gratitude for missing out on playing Luke Skywalker.

Will Smith – Neo

Prior to Keanu Reeves embodying the epitome of cyberpunk charisma, the Wachowski siblings attempted to cast Will Smith as the hacker protagonist Neo in The Matrix. Smith attended their pitch session and considered it, but ultimately chose to star in Wild Wild West instead. Reflecting on that decision years later, Smith admitted that he was hesitant due to the fact that the Wachowskis had only directed one movie at that time, which made him apprehensive. (He later acknowledged that they were indeed geniuses, but there’s a delicate balance in a pitch meeting between brilliance and the impression he received during the meeting.)

John Travolta – Forrest Gump

When John Travolta agreed to star in “Pulp Fiction”, he declined another film, Robert Zemeckis’ “Forrest Gump”, which was set to begin production at the same time. Both films ended up as Academy Award nominees for Best Picture, with “Gump” ultimately winning and Tom Hanks taking on the lead role. However, Travolta’s decision worked out well for him as playing Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction” helped rejuvenate his career. Years later, when asked if he regretted his choice, Travolta said he did not. (If you had to choose between being in “Pulp Fiction” or “Forrest Gump”, which would you prefer?)

Paul Walker – Superman

Due to his popularity from “The Fast and the Furious” franchise, Paul Walker was a highly sought-after young actor when casting started for “Superman Returns.” He even had the chance to play the new Superman, but after speaking with Richard Donner, director of Christopher Reeve’s “Superman” and a colleague on the film “Timeline,” Walker decided against it. In a conversation with ComingSoon.net, Walker shared that Donner asked him if he felt he needed or should take the role. Walker recalled thinking, “Do I need it, should I do it?” Donner advised him not to accept the role solely for financial reasons, but only if he truly wanted it. Walker was concerned about being remembered solely as Superman, and Donner’s response confirmed his decision not to star in “Superman Returns.

Denzel Washington – Michael Clayton

In 2012, when Denzel Washington was asked about career regrets by GQ, he expressed that Michael Clayton was the best material he had come across in a while, but he was apprehensive about a first-time director. However, the role eventually went to George Clooney who made it one of his iconic roles as an actor. It didn’t take long for Washington to acknowledge his error. In his own words to GQ, “I was wrong. It happens.

Bruce Willis – Ghost’s Sam

Initially, Bruce Willis was skeptical about the script for the movie “Ghost,” which tells the story of a man who dies and tries to communicate with his wife from the afterlife. However, it turned out that he was mistaken as “Ghost” turned out to be the highest-grossing film of 1990 and the most rented VHS tape in 1991. When reflecting on his decision to turn down the role of the ghost, Willis labeled himself a “knucklehead.” When given another opportunity to star in “The Sixth Sense,” Willis made sure not to repeat his previous mistake.

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2025-04-14 16:55

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