As development on the upcomingHarry PotterTV show continues, more rumored castings pop up everywhere, and a recent one regarding Hagrid shows how the series can capitalize on star power, even though it’s also a risky move. The world ofHarry Pottercontinued living after the saga’s end with the trilogyFantastic Beasts, which couldn’t match the success and popularity of the main saga. The story of The Boy Who Lived is now getting a new adaptation but as a TV series, set to be released on Max.
TheHarry PotterTV remakewas first reported in 2021 but wasn’t confirmed to be in development until April 2023. At the time of writing, theHarry PotterTV series is in the process of finding its cast, and while thousands of kids and young actors are auditioning to play the main trio, well-known names are being rumored to play the older characters. As some big names are circling the roles of Snape, Dumbledore, and McGonagall, the one rumored for Hagrid shows that the series can capitalize on star power, but this is also quite risky for this project.
The Harry Potter Remake’s Rumored Hagrid Casting Could Use Star Power To Its Advantage
The Harry Potter TV Series Might Have A Big Star As Hagrid
Theactor rumored to be playing Rubeus Hagrid in theHarry PotterTV seriesis none other than Brett Goldstein.Goldstein is best known for his role as Roy Kent in Apple TV+’s comedy-drama TV seriesTed Lasso, of which he’s also a writer and executive producer. Goldstein is currently part of the cast of the comedy-dramaShrinking, which he co-created with Bill Lawrence and Jason Segel, and he also serves as a writer and executive producer. On top of that, Goldstein is now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hercules.
TheHarry PotterTV remake, as exciting as it is, is facing a couple of challenges.TheHarry Pottermoviesare so loved and popular that the TV remake is facing being compared in everything, even if it ends up making a better adaptation than the films. The TV series can greatly benefit from having well-known, currently popular actors in big roles, mostly fan-favorites like Hagrid, asthrough them, it can draw more attention and pique the curiosity of old and new fansas well as those whose first approach to the Wizarding World will be the TV show.
Casting Big-Name Actors In The Harry Potter Show Is Riskier Than You’d Think
This Choice Can End Up Backfiring
While casting well-known and popular actors in theHarry PotterTV show can be beneficial, it’s also risky. TheHarry Pottermovies also had big-name actors in their cast, such as Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Emma Thompson, and Kenneth Branagh, which helped them get wider attention from an older audience that wasn’t exactly the target audience of the books and movies. While they were already famous and had played some well-known characters, theHarry Potteruniverse gave them a new image in the eyes of a new audience.
Now, the problem with big names like Brett Goldstein is thatthey’re already heavily associated with other also popular characters, as happens with Goldstein and hisTed Lassocharacter, Roy, even to those not familiar with the TV show. To the superhero audience, Goldstein is now Hercules, a character briefly teased atthe end ofThor: Love and Thunderand who they’re waiting to see when and where he will appear next.
To many, seeing Goldstein’s Hagrid might be like watching Roy as a friendly half-giant.
These other roles can end up taking viewers out of the story of theHarry PotterTV seriesand thus distracting them from their Wizarding World characters and their role in the show. To many, seeing Goldstein’s Hagrid might be like watching Roy as a friendly half-giant, Rachel Weisz’s Professor McGonagall will take some viewers back toThe Mummy, and Mark Strong’s Dumbledore can take the audience back toKingsman’s Merlin in a different context.
Of course, these and the rest of the rumored actors for theHarry PotterTV show so far are talented enough to give their characters the uniqueness they deserve and separate all their roles in their careers, but their images are already linked to other big and famous roles.
At the time of writing, Goldstein, Weisz, and Strong are only rumored to be joining the cast ofHarry Potter. None of them have been confirmed.
Brett Goldstein As Hagrid Could Still Work, But Only If It’s Handled Carefully
There Are A Couple Of Things The Series Has To Do To Make This Hagrid Work
Even with the risks that come with casting big names in theHarry PotterTV show,Brett Goldstein would still be a great Hagrid, but it has to be handled correctly.TheHarry PotterTV show has to avoid being obvious in showing its most famous actorsas it can end up backfiring, either by having them take all the attention or the above-mentioned problem of the audience immediately associating them with their past roles.
An advantage in casting Goldstein is that he doesn’t look like Hagrid, so he should be barely recognizable when the time comes, allowing the audience to detach from his image and past roles and fully focus on his version of the beloved Hogwarts groundskeeper.
TheHarry PotterTV show has to be smart in its casting choices and writing.
Of course, the writing, acting, and how the books are adapted will also be key to Goldstein’s Hagrid’s success, because, thankfully, his acting skills aren’t a concern at all. TheHarry PotterTV show has to be smart in its casting choices and writing, as combined can be the key to its success.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is HBO’s remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling’s popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did.
