Two decades after auditioning for Harry Potter‘s titular boy wizard, Nicholas Hoult has a chance to finally join the Wizarding World.
Craig Melvin recalled how Hoult once auditioned for Daniel Radcliffe‘s role in the Harry Potter film franchise on the Monday, June 30, episode of Today. Bringing up HBO’s upcoming TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling‘s beloved book series, Melvin asked Hoult, “Would you do it?”
“I don’t know,” Hoult replied, noting that he previously worked with the show’s director, Mark Mylod, on the 2022 film The Menu. “I love Mark as a director and I love those stories. I think I’m a little bit too old to play Harry now, though.”
Melvin suggested that Hoult could be a “part of that universe” through a different character, while Hoult praised Harry Potter‘s “great stories.”
Earlier in the interview, Melvin suggested that Hoult message Mylod about joining the Harry Potter series, as he used the same method to land his role as Lex Luthor in the new Superman movie by sliding into director James Gunn‘s Instagram DMs.
Aidan Monaghan/HBO
“I even have [Mylod’s] phone number now, so I can just text him and be like, ‘Dude, what’s up? Am I too old for Harry this time?’” Hoult quipped.
In April 2023, HBO announced they would be bringing the Harry Potter franchise to the small screen, devoting one season to each of the book series’ seven novels.
“Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World,” Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content, said in a statement at the time. “In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”
Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout will lead the series as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, respectively. The show has already cast several roles for Season 1, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
HBO announced more cast additions earlier this month, including Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.
Rowling — who has faced backlash for her involvement with the series due to her anti-trans views — shared an update on the show’s progress via X on June 21. “I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!” she shared, adding in another tweet that she has “ worked closely with the extremely talented writers.”
Harry Potter, Premiere, 2026, HBO & HBO Max
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