The original Harry Potter star says he has deliberately kept his distance from the reboot, and has avoided giving advice to 12-year-old Dominic McLaughlin, who now plays the boy wizard.
Daniel Radcliffe has said he is not planning to watch HBO’s new Harry Potter adaptation, which premieres on 25 December. He told the Associated Press that he has deliberately held back from offering acting advice to McLaughlin, the 12-year-old who has taken over the role, because even well-meant guidance could follow the young actor through future interviews. Radcliffe said he wants McLaughlin to develop his own version of the character without constant comparison. He made the comments at the premiere of his new film, Steps, on 8 November.
Why Radcliffe is staying away
Radcliffe said his reluctance to watch is not a rejection of the new cast. According to The Independent, he pointed to his general lack of television viewing and said he has never seen acclaimed dramas such as Breaking Bad and Mad Men. He also said he is confident in McLaughlin’s performance.
Variety reported on 10 November that the two actors have already swapped personal letters. Radcliffe wrote to McLaughlin in 2025 to wish him luck, and the young actor sent a reply that Radcliffe described as especially kind. They have not yet met, and Radcliffe said he hopes they will.
Radcliffe has previously said he hoped the new cast would have a better experience than he did. Variety reported that, although he speaks positively about his childhood on the films, seeing photographs of the new young actors reminded him how young he was when he took the part.
In an interview with ScreenRant in February, Radcliffe also asked journalists to stop repeatedly raising himself, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint when they speak to the younger performers, Entertainment Weekly reported.
A different Harry for his son
Entertainment Weekly reported on 10 November that Radcliffe has welcomed the prospect of his child growing up watching someone else play Harry. He said a new adaptation could let his son enjoy the wizarding world without always seeing his father on screen, and joked that someone else might eventually take over answering questions about the franchise.
In a new interview with People, published on 14 November, Radcliffe said fatherhood has shaped his choice of film roles. He particularly enjoys making family-friendly productions because his three-year-old son might one day watch them, he said, adding that his son does not yet fully understand what his father does for a living. Radcliffe voices the Prince in Netflix’s animated Cinderella reinterpretation, Steps, which is due out on 20 November. The film also features Amanda Seyfried, Ali Wong and Nikki Glaser.
Other original stars reach out, or step back
Variety reported on 19 February that Rupert Grint wrote to Alastair Stout, who plays Ron Weasley in the series. Grint said he wanted to pass on encouragement before filming began and hoped Stout would enjoy it as much as he had.
Entertainment Weekly reported that David Thewlis, who played Remus Lupin, said he was tired of discussing his association with the films and did not want to reprise the role on television.
What HBO has confirmed
Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed that the first season will premiere on 25 December 2026. It will have eight episodes, adapting Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and will be available through HBO Max in the UK and Ireland and other supported territories.
HBO said the first trailer, released in March 2026, attracted more than 277 million organic views in 48 hours, more than doubling its previous record across HBO and HBO Max. That is a promotional viewing figure and not a forecast of the series’ audience. According to the official Wizarding World website, Hans Zimmer is composing the score. Francesca Gardiner is lead writer and executive producer, Mark Mylod, whose credits include Succession, is directing several episodes, and original film producer David Heyman is back as an executive producer. Filming began at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire on 14 July 2025.
The cast includes John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, Nick Frost as Hagrid and Janet McTeer as McGonagall. Warwick Davis returns as Professor Flitwick, reprising his role from the films. An official breakdown of the second teaser highlights scenes that were missing or shortened in the original film, including the Forbidden Forest detention, the giant wizard chess game and more detail about Nicolas Flamel.
HBO commissioned a second season on 6 May 2026, which will adapt Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The Guardian reported on 25 August that Kit Harington has joined it as Gilderoy Lockhart, replacing Nicholas Hoult, who withdrew because of scheduling conflicts. Peter Serafinowicz was announced in June as Peeves the Poltergeist, a character omitted from the original films.
