A new casting update has been announced for the highly-anticipated Harry Potter HBO series reboot that’s set to hit screens in 2026 - but some fans are less than impressed.
Ever since it was announced back in April 2023, fans of JK Rowling's World of Witchcraft and Wizardry were buzzing to find out who would be cast to carry on the legacy of the beloved film franchise, which will cover all seven Harry Potter books.
But, fans have been left less than impressed after finding out who is reportedly set to take on the roles of the Dursleys.
For those who aren’t familiar with the wizarding series, Petunia and Vernon Dursley are Harry’s aunt and uncle who take him in after his parents' death and notoriously force him to live in a cupboard under the stairs.
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In the original Harry Potter movies, the despicable duo were played by Fiona Shaw and Richard Griffiths.
And now, according to Variety, Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby will be stepping into their shoes for the upcoming remake, with their son Dudley yet to be cast.
Powley is best known for her roles in TV shows including Masters Of The Air, A Small Light and The Morning Show, while her film appearances include White Boy Rick, The Diary Of A Teenage Girl and The King Of Staten Island.
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Meanwhile, Rigby may be recognised for his work in Renegade Nell and I, Jack Wright.
He won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor back in 2011 for his role in Eric and Ernie and the actor is also set to play a part in Amazon’s upcoming show Blade Runner 2099, which follows on from the film franchise.
However, fans online who have reacted to the news of the casting are divided, with some people saying they’re ‘too young for the roles’ and others claiming they're even 'too hot'.
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Writing on Twitter, one social media user quipped: “Whoever is the casting director needs to be fired wtf are these casts.”
Another added: “aren't they a bit "young" for the roles?” with a third penning: “Why so young choice?”
Someone else chimed in with: “Definitely not what I was expecting, but interesting nonetheless.”
"Elder Dursleys and they're 33??" wrote another.
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Meanwhile, someone else joked: "Why did they cast hot people to play the Dursleys???"
Another Twitter user quipped: "Hmmmm. Petunia could be good but Vernon is WAY too hot. Has to wear fat suit prosthetics or something The Dursleys are not sympathetic characters."
"The elder Dursleys, dude they're my age. The casting has been garbage so far," added another furious fan.
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Warner Bros. TV boss Channing Dungey said last year that the upcoming series will be 'more in-depth than you can in just a two-hour film… that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey'.
It was previously announced that Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter while Arabella Stanton will take on the role of Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout will be the new Ron Weasley.
In the films, those roles were played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, respectively, so the newbie actors definitely have big boots to fill.
Topics: Harry Potter, Entertainment, TV And Film
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Madison Burgess