Katherine Parkinson joins cast for new Harry Potter TV series

By Lauren Del Fabbro, PA Entertainment Reporter

Actress Katherine Parkinson has joined the cast of the new Harry Potter TV series.

The IT Crowd star will join the HBO TV show of the popular fantasy novel series to play Molly Weasley, the mother of Ron Weasley.

Parkinson also starred in the hit Disney+ series Rivals, for which she received a supporting actress Bafta TV nomination for her role as Lizzie Vereker.

Johnny Flynn arriving for the UK premiere of Operation Mincemeat at the Curzon Mayfair cinema in central London
Johnny Flynn will play Lucius Malfoy (Ian West/PA) Photo by Ian West

Joining the cast alongside Parkinson is actor and musician Johnny Flynn, who is best known for playing Mr Knightley in the 2020 film Emma.

The 42-year-old will portray antagonist Lucius Malfoy, while The Diary Of A Teenage Girl star Bel Powley will play Petunia Dursley, the aunt of Harry Potter who takes him in and forces him to live under the stairs following his parents’ death.

Each season of the show will be a faithful adaptation of the Harry Potter books, from author and executive producer JK Rowling.

This follows from the popular film adaptations that starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as the protagonists.

Actor and comedian Daniel Rigby will also join the cast to play Petunia’s husband, Vernon Dursley, while The Crown’s Bertie Carvel will portray Cornelius Fudge.

School bully Draco Malfoy, who was played in the films by Tom Felton, who is set to reprise the role in the Harry Potter And The Cursed Child play on Broadway, will be portrayed by Lox Pratt.

Hogwarts students will include newcomers Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown.

The young stars cast to play Harry, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were announced recently.

Paapa Essiedu
Paapa Essiedu (Ian West/PA) Photo by Ian West

Dominic McLaughlin will take the part of Harry, Arabella Stanton will play Hermione and Alastair Stout is cast as Ron.

British actor Paapa Essiedu and US star John Lithgow were also confirmed as Professor Severus Snape and Hogwarts headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore, respectively.

The cast also includes Welsh comedian and actor Paul Whitehouse as the magic-less Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch and Hot Fuzz actor Nick Frost as the friendly groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid.

Production will begin at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in summer 2025.