Original Harry Potter Actor Makes Surprise Return for HBO Series

For longtime fans, September 1st—better known as Back to Hogwarts Day—just got even more magical. HBO announced that Warwick Davis will reprise his role as Professor Filius Flitwick in the upcoming Harry Potter television series, marking a homecoming for the actor who originated the beloved Charms Master and Head of Ravenclaw House in the film franchise. Alongside Davis, HBO revealed several new cast members who will populate Hogwarts’s hallowed halls. Sirine Saba joins as Professor Pomona Sprout, Richard Durden as ghostly Professor Cuthbert Binns, and Bríd Brennan as Madam Poppy Pomfrey. Beyond the castle, Leigh Gill will play Griphook, bringing the infamous Gringotts goblin back to life. On the student side, Elijah Oshin has been cast as Dean Thomas, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe, and William Nash as Gregory Goyle.

The announcement comes just weeks after production hit a major stage in London, where fans near Borough High Street by London Bridge witnessed the filming of the Leaky Cauldron sequence. The scene marks Harry’s first steps into the wizarding world as Nick Frost’s Hagrid guides 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin’s Harry Potter into Diagon Alley.

Traffic briefly came to a standstill as cameras rolled, giving onlookers a glimpse of McLaughlin in full costume—round glasses, baggy jeans, colorful rain jacket, and Dudley’s hand-me-downs—while Frost towered beside him in Hagrid’s iconic curls, beard, and rugged coat. VFX markers on Frost’s face confirmed digital enhancements will boost him to Hagrid’s towering stature, but even without them, the dynamic between the two actors already felt pitch-perfect.

How Will Harry Potter Honor the Films?

Speaking exclusively to Collider’s Steve Weintraub while promoting How to Train Your Dragon, Frost explained how he’s approaching the role of Hagrid with respect for Robbie Coltrane’s legacy while crafting his own interpretation:

“You get cast because you’re going to bring something to that. While I’m really aware of what went before me in terms of Robbie [Coltrane]’s amazing performance, I’m never going to try and be Robbie. I’m going to try and do something, not ‘different,’ I think you have to be respectful to the subject matter, but within that, there’s scope for minutia. I always read Hagrid as he’s like a lovely, lost, violent, funny, warm child. I think the beauty of being able to do a book a season means I get to explore that a lot more, and I can’t wait. He’s funny! I want it to be funny and cheeky and scared and protective and childlike. That’s what I’m planning on doing.”

The HBO series, written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner and directed in part by Mark Mylod, is filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and on location across the UK. McLaughlin leads as Harry Potter, alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The adult cast includes John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and Janet McTeer as McGonagall..

The series will premiere globally in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max.