‘Harry Potter’ Star Issues Shocking Verdict on Reboot, Insists That “They Don’t Need It!”

HBO’s planned Harry Potter television series is still over a year away from airing its first season, but one star of the original films is already deeply unimpressed.

While filming is underway on Season 1 of Harry Potter, the series – which will likely require lengthy post-production – isn’t expected to debut until early 2027 and will adapt one book per season. Warner Bros. has said the long-form approach will allow for more detail than the film franchise, which ran from 2001 to 2011.

HBO programming chief Casey Bloys has also confirmed that seasons of Harry Potter will be filmed in close succession. The strategy is intended to avoid long gaps between releases and prevent noticeable aging among the young cast, an issue that has affected other long-running series (cough, Stranger Things).

More than a decade after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 arrived in theaters, the original trio has officially passed the baton. Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout will portray Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley.

The wider cast has also been recast almost entirely. John Lithgow will portray Albus Dumbledore, replacing the late Michael Gambon. Janet McTeer will take over as Professor McGonagall, a role originated by Maggie Smith.

Paapa Essiedu has been cast as Severus Snape, succeeding Alan Rickman. Nick Frost will portray Rubeus Hagrid, replacing Robbie Coltrane. Warwick Davis is the only returning cast member (so far, at least), reprising his role as Filius Flitwick.

Other series regulars include Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Richard Durden as Cuthbert Binns, and Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout, replacing Miriam Margolyes.

Miriam Margolyes Criticizes the ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot

Margolyes has long been candid about her relationship with Harry Potter. Although she has said she enjoyed her time on set, she has repeatedly distanced herself from the franchise’s cultural impact.

In a 2023 interview with Vogue, Margolyes described the books bluntly. “It’s not Charles Dickens,” she said, adding that the role was not especially important to her career.

In 2024, she went further, questioning the longevity of the fandom itself. “I worry about ‘Harry Potter’ fans because they should be over that by now,” she told New Zealand’s 1News.

“It was 25 years ago, and it’s for children,” she continued. “I think it’s for children.”

Now, Margolyes has turned her attention to HBO’s upcoming adaptation. During an appearance on Capital Breakfast, she said she would not have agreed to participate in the reboot.

“I don’t see why they need to make another one,” Margolyes said. “I thought it was perfectly good as it was. But I suppose it’s the endless search for money.”

She also questioned the financial motivation behind revisiting the series. “They don’t need it!” she exclaimed. “The people who were the producers, they made a fortune.”

Margolyes appeared in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. She is the first actor from the franchise to openly criticize the reboot in such direct terms.

What Do Other Franchise Veterans Think?

Margolyes is not alone in expressing skepticism, though reactions from other franchise veterans have been more mixed than outright critical. Some have questioned the creative necessity of the reboot, while others have taken a more pragmatic or supportive stance.

Chris Columbus, who directed the first two films and produced the third, has publicly raised concerns about repetition. Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, he pointed to early images from the series that suggested little visual departure from the films.

“I looked online, and there are photographs of Nick Frost as Hagrid with the new Harry Potter,” Columbus said. “And he’s wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid.”

“What’s the point?” he added. “I thought everything, the costumes and everything, was going to be different. It’s more of the same.”

More pictures of Nick Frost as Hagrid on the set of the HARRY POTTER TV series

More pictures of Nick Frost as Hagrid on the set of the HARRY POTTER TV series pic.twitter.com/MikJ1T0ryA

— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) August 18, 2025

At the same time, Columbus has acknowledged potential upsides to the television format. He has said the series could finally include material cut from the films, including Peeves and the potion trials from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Other actors from the franchise have been more openly positive. Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy (and is currently playing the character again on Broadway), has said he would welcome the chance to appear in the new series in some capacity and has expressed excitement about seeing a new generation take on the roles.

Felton has also attracted attention for declining to publicly criticize J.K. Rowling’s views on gender identity. Earlier this year, he said he was “not really attuned” to the controversy, contrasting with statements made by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.

Jason Isaacs, who portrayed Lucius Malfoy, has taken a supportive tone toward the reboot, publicly praising the actor cast in the role.

“A fantastic actor, a lovely man and, irritatingly, a rather brilliant musician too,” Isaacs wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Couldn’t have handed the snake-topped baton on to anyone better.”

Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley, has also expressed optimism, saying she hopes the long-form format will allow for deeper character development and more faithful adaptations of moments compressed or omitted in the films.

Are you excited for HBO’s new take on Harry Potter?