As casting rumours zip around with the speed and unpredictability of a Golden Snitch, GQ‘s HBO Harry Potter cast power list is updated frequently.

When you think about it, 13 years — yes, it has been almost a decade and a half since The Deathly Hallows Pt. II — is a pretty long time to go without a reboot for a franchise as huge as Harry Potter, not least in the age of IP. Yeah, sure, the Fantastic Beasts movies scratched an itch for the wannabe wizards of the world, and the triple-A video game Hogwarts Legacy provided a veritable Floo Network for millions of Potterheads. But neither holds a magically floating candle to the O.G. films, right?

So now comes a TV series adapting the original books from HBO, which is expected to be epic in length and, as such, release over the course of a decade(or more).

The film series made stars of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, and boosted the international profiles of beloved British and Irish character actors — Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Robbie Coltrane, Imelda Staunton, et al. There’s little doubt, then, that HBO’s Harry Potter is the hottest casting target for British talent this side of Game of Thrones, even if it is weighted down by the widely reported controversy around J.K. Rowling’s online comments on trans rights. (HBO head Casey Bloys has described Rowling as “fairly involved” with the series’ development, while noting that her presence hasn’t put anyone off signing up, per IndieWire.)

Nevertheless, all involved have a formidable challenge on their hands. Can they live up to the beloved character portrayals that gave the movies their magic? We should know a year or so from now — the series is set to begin shooting this year with an anticipated debut on HBO Max in 2026. We also know that Harry, Ron and Hermione will be cast from a pool of unknown child actors, as was the case with the films. The most recent news on HBO’s Harry Potter cast comes from Deadline, who report that multi-Oscar-nominated actress Janet McTeer is in “negotiations” to play Hogwarts professor Minerva McGonagall, while Paapa Essiedu is “closing his deal” to play Severus Snape.

Casting is well underway, then. But who should get the wands, robes, and magic motorbike? For this exercise, think of GQ as the sorting hat, as we pick through the most eligible British actors to join HBO’s new Potterverse.

Dumbledore

According to Deadline, veteran actor John Lithgow has emerged as the frontrunner to play Dumbledore. Casting an American would fly in the face of the Potter franchise’s historical policy to source mostly from British and Irish talent pools, but lay down the torches for a moment before you go all 1814. Nailing the British accent is nothing to an actor of Lithgow’s calibre (see: his turn as Churchill in The Crown), and perhaps it’s only fair that an American should take one of our more prestigious parts for once, given how our acting exports disproportionately dominate the small screen across the Atlantic.

In a recent interview with ScreenRant to promote his part in horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen, Lithgow confirmed that he has said “yes” to the role. Now 79, he noted that the role will take him well into his 80s. “Well, it came as a total surprise to me,” Lithgow said of the casting offer. “I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid. But I’m very excited.” As if he couldn’t be more explicit, Lithgow concluded that he has “said yes” to the part.

It seems, however, that Lithgow jumped the gun, as HBO is still yet to provide official confirmation of Lithgow’s casting. ScreenRant notes that, when asked for comment on the Lithgow quotes, HBO offered the standard response that they have for all Harry Potter cast queries. “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumour and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalise deals,” the broadcaster said. Nevertheless, it seems that in Lithgow’s mind at least, the Dumble-deal is all but done.

Previously, reports circulated that Mark Rylance was earmarked for the role by HBO execs, though this seems to be no longer the case. Nevertheless, that both men — multi-award winners whose stage and screen bonafides need very little elaboration — have allegedly been looked at for the part speaks to the ambition of the casting team, not least when it comes to the biggest roles. It’s the sort of blank check approach you’d associate with Man City and Jurassic Park‘s John Hammond, seemingly sparing little expense to cast the biggest talents available.

Should both give the part a thumbs Dumble-down, we could also see Christopher Eccleston putting in a good shift. To be clear, this is entirely fan-casting on our part — to our knowledge, his name has not circulated for the role, nor has it really appeared in the rumour mill. But regardless, he would bring a severity to Dumbledore that could make for a welcome change from previous interpretations and, having been in the most recent season of True Detective, he will be well-familiar to the creatives at HBO.

And at 71, Spider-Man actor Alfred Molina might be a little too long in the tooth to play a part that may take its actor into the mid-to-late 2030s, but he — like Gambon in the movies — can switch between gentle kindness and rage on a dime. (He’d rock a beard, too, wouldn’t he?)

McGonagall

Janet McTeer.

Kate Green/Getty Images

Nailed so this part was by the late, great Maggie Smith, McGonagall is another tough one for any actor to live up to, but there are a few who could do it well. While previous reports from Deadline associated Catastrophe and Bad Sistersco-creator Sharon Horgan with the part, the outlet now reports that Oscar-nominee Janet McTeer is in negotiations for the role.

That she is in the running further serves to suggest that the HBO bosses are circling awards prestige with the Harry Potter casting process, packing the call sheet with as many nominees and winners of the biggest film and TV gongs as they possibly can. It’s an astute way to go about it: how better to prove that you’re serious about a project than to ensure it’s stacked with talent, sparing no expense?

One that jumps to mind apropos of her brilliant performance as House of the Dragon‘s Rhaenys — a steely, ferociously loyal leader with a soft heart — is Eve Best. Indie movie fans have also been especially partial to Lesley Manville since her ferocious turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread opposite Daniel Day-Lewis, and she has since been one of the standouts in The Crown as Princess Margaret.

Rumours also abound that Catastrophe and Bad Sisters co-creator Sharon Horgan has been looked at for McGonagall, per Deadline. She’s perhaps a slightly younger, funnier pick than we would’ve imagined, but a very talented actor nonetheless.

Snape

Paapa Essiedu.

Dave Benett/Getty Images

There have been reports for some time, first broken by The Hollywood Reporter, that The Lazarus Project and I May Destroy You star Paapa Essiedu is in talks for the role of Snape. He’s an actor whose star has rapidly risen in recent years, with roles in Gangs of London, Saoirse Ronan’s film The Outrun, and new Netflix spy thriller Black Doves helping to propel him through the stratosphere.

In March, Deadline offered an update on Essiedu’s casting negotiations. According to the film trade outlet, Essiedu is “closing his deal” to play Snape, bringing him closer to securing the part — though this does not necessarily mean that it should be considered a done deal. If his casting indeed comes to pass, it’s an astute pick. Essiedu has shown himself more than capable of the sort of moody brood associated with the half-blood prince, and at the same time it’s a strong pivot away from any attempt to imitate Alan Rickman’s own unassailable performance.

Hagrid

Ted Lasso‘s Roy Kent, Brett Goldstein, has been most prominently rumoured to play Hagrid, who was portrayed in the original film series by the late Robbie Coltrane. Look, he’d have to put on a couple hundred pounds — and grow another foot or two while he’s at it for proper book accuracy — but he’d be a fun pick, even if it would see him cast against the misanthropic type of his most prominent TV role to date.

There are a few other names that come to mind. Game of Throne‘s Mark Addyseems like the perfect Hagrid on paper: not only does he look the part, he was all diaphragm as the reluctant King Robert Baratheon, thundering from the rafters about the day’s joust and otherwise getting pissed on good wine. Soften that performance and you can see a lot of Hagrid in him — a big, loud, imposing teddy bear. Nick Frost has rocked a similarly bushy beard in recent years, and would be especially appropriate if this interpretation of Hagrid leans into his funny side.

Voldemort

You need a serpentine, slippery fellow for He Who Must Not Be Named — the sort of actor whose very presence can feel terrifying. (It also helps if you can picture them taking on the look of Munch’s The Scream after a few hours of prosthetics and make-up.) The obvious pick, if his recent Oscardom hasn’t taken him out of the running, would be Cillian Murphy, whose sharp, spooky angularity just feels right for old Vold.

It should also be noted that Murphy is being “eyed up” to play Professor Quirrell according to insider DanielRPK (via GamingBible), the Defence Against the Dark Arts tutor who is essentially possessed by Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone — you’ll recall that the dark wizard takes up residency on the back of Quirrell’s head, hidden under a headwrap. This would probably preclude Murphy from taking on Voldemort, but perhaps there is a creative way around such double-casting.

For a younger pick, we’d suggest the HBO Potter bosses look no further than Stranger Things’ Jamie Campbell Bower, whose villainous Vecna is as gross and spine-chillingly malignant as you’d ever want Voldemort to be. He did play the young version of another evil wizard, Grindelwald, in the Potter film universe. But does that really matter?

Sirius Black

He’s unhinged, erratic, and just a little bit disheveled — but, crucially, kind of endearing. The Sirius Black formula is a tough one to crack. Do you go down the Gary Oldman route and recruit an actor you can reliably expect to perform to the back rafters, or go for someone who will offer a subtler approach to Black’s inner turmoil? Either way, Kit Harington would be our first choice: he’s a range-y performer who fits the age profile, can play to both Black’s light and shade, and he just seems like he’d be a cool godfather. A word here, too, for fellow Game of Thrones alumnus Richard Madden, who carries many of the same qualities, though we’d expect a more introspective version of Black from him.

Some fringe shouts could be Benedict Cumberbatch, although he’s on the upper end of the likely age range. And could fellow MCU actor Tom Hiddlestoninject Black with a little of Loki’s mania? He certainly seems the right fit from the A-list Hollywood crop — and it’s worth noting that, at 43, he’s around the same age as Oldman when he shot Prisoner of Azkaban, give or take a few years.

Bellatrix Lestrange

The way that we imagine Bellatrix is so specific to Helena Bonham Carter that it’ll be an uphill battle for anyone who is called upon to bring their own interpretation to the role — but such is the case for most of this cast. To our mind, the standout nominee would be Mia Goth, the scream queen whose turn in 2022’s Pearl was considered Oscar-worthy enough for commentators to question why another performance in a horror film had been snubbed after she missed out on a nomination. There’s a gothic edge to her and in Pearl she demonstrates a knack for playing a woman on the edge, which would serve Bellatrix well.

The Dursleys

Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Karwai Tang

The hottest casting rumour to circulate in February so far is that Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been offered the part of Harry’s pompous Aunt Petunia, played by Irish acting legend Fiona Shaw in the original film series. (It comes from the insider DanielRPK.) At 39, Waller-Bridge is about the right age, and it should also be said that she has a similar look to Shaw. Plus, there was always a campy humour to Petunia — almost drag-like with her rich red lipstick, Marge Simpson pearls and cartoonish Thatcher scowl — that you could see the Fleabag creator tapping into with great success. But who might be her Vernon? Give it to Matt Berry, who would surely make the most delicious opera out of line reads like “no post on Sundays — ha!”