Longest ‘Harry Potter’ Sequel Casts a Spell on Prime Video as HBO Series Looms

It's been 25 years since Daniel Radcliffe first donned his Hogwarts robes as The Boy Who Lived, and a new era for the magic franchise is just over a month away. On December 25, despite being surrounded by controversy, the show will go on for HBO, as a brand-new series adaptation of Harry Potter debuts. The famous central trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione will be portrayed by Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton, respectively, with the rest of the lineup packed with experienced talent.

The cast includes Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, and even Warwick Davis, who is reprising his role from the original set of movies. With The Philosopher's Stone around the corner, Season 2, The Chamber of Secrets, is already taking shape. Rafe Spall will portray Arthur Weasley in the second season, with Molly Hewitt-Richards joining as Moaning Myrtle, Jasper Ambrose as Colin Creevey, and Lenny Rush and Bonnie Hill as Dobby and Ginny Weasley, respectively.

Prior to that, it was confirmed that Kit Harington was added as Gilderoy Lockhart, taking over from Nicholas Hoult, who had to step back from the role due to scheduling conflicts. As the cast for the second season continues to be unveiled, the corresponding movie, which is the longest in the film series, is proving popular. At the time of writing, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is one of the ten most-watched movies on Prime Video in the world. The film, released in 2002, was directed by Chris Columbus and earned almost $900 million in an impressive box office run.

The Original Harry Potter Won't Watch the New Series

+3

Recently, the original Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, distanced himself from the upcoming series, admitting, when asked if he'll watch the next adaptation: "I don’t know if I will, honestly. I’ve watched [and] been in a lot of Harry Potter already." He continued, "Also, I don’t watch any TV. I haven’t seen Breaking Bad; I haven’t seen Mad Men; I haven’t seen some of the real classics. So, you know. Eight hours is a lot of anything to watch."