Anton Lesser has been cast in the new Harry Potter TV series

John Hurt - who passed away in 2017, aged 77 - took on the role in the Harry Potter movies.

Other new cast members include Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, and Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch.

Production has started at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, on HBO's Harry Potter series, which will debut in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max.

The latest casting comes after Harry Potter added nine stars to the series - which will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter books by author and ex ecutive producer J.K. Rowling - last month.

Rivals actress Katherine Parkinson joined the show as Molly Weasley, and Dalgliesh star Bertie Carvel will portray Cornelius Fudge.

What's more, Lox Pratt and Johnny Flynn will take on the roles of Draco Malfoy and Lucius Malfoy respectively, and Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby will portray Petunia and Vernon Dursley.

Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout will play the main characters Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley.

Francesca Gardiner - showrunner and ex ecutive producer - and fellow ex ec producer Mark Mylod said: "After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

"The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen.

"We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there."

John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore), Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall), Paapa Essiedu (Severus Snape), and Nick Frost (Rubeus Hagrid) will be series regulars, and other recurring cast includes Luke Thallon (Quirinus Quirrell) and Paul Whitehouse (Argus Filch).