Daniel Radcliffe Wrote to Dominic McLaughlin — And What Came Back Was Pure Class
Daniel Radcliffe is passing the wand to HBO’s new Harry Potter series, revealing he wrote to Dominic McLaughlin and received a heartfelt reply—now he just wants to hug the next generation of Hogwarts heroes.
If you were wondering how Daniel Radcliffe feels about HBO handing the wand to a new Harry, he is very much the supportive alum. He quietly reached out to the kid taking over, got a sweet note back, and is basically trying not to hover. Also: the reboot has some surprising casting choices, production is already building classrooms, and HBO is eyeballing 2027.
Radcliffe extends the handoff, minus the hover
On Good Morning America, Radcliffe said he wrote a letter to Dominic McLaughlin, the young actor playing Harry in HBO's upcoming series. He knows a few folks working on the show and wanted to send a friendly note, not a rulebook. McLaughlin wrote back with what Radcliffe called a very sweet response.
Radcliffe emphasized he does not expect future Harrys to check in with him and he has zero interest in being some ghost hanging over the new kids' shoulders. His message was short, kind, and very on-brand for someone who did a decade in those robes:
"I hope you have the best time, and an even better time than I did - I had a great time, but I hope you have an even better time."
He also admitted that seeing photos of the new trio-age cast makes him want to give them a hug. They look so young, he said, and it hits him that he was doing all of that at their age. The vibe is supportive older classmate, not backseat driver.
The cast so far (and yes, there are some fun choices)
- Dominic McLaughlin - Harry Potter
- Paapa Essiedu - Severus Snape
- John Lithgow - Albus Dumbledore
- Janet McTeer - Minerva McGonagall
- Nick Frost - Rubeus Hagrid
- Lox Pratt - Draco Malfoy
- Alessia Leoni - Parvati Patil
- Leo Earley - Seamus Finnigan
- Rory Wilmot - Neville Longbottom
- Amos Kitson - Dudley Dursley
Production notes and timeline
A nice behind-the-scenes detail: Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden built a temporary school so the child actors can keep up with classes during the shoot (per the BBC). On the rollout side, HBO is reportedly aiming to debut the series in 2027.