‘Harry Potter’ HBO series casts Sorting Hat, Nearly Headless Nick and more

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Dominic McLaughlin stars in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.’ (Aidan Monaghan/HBO)

HBO has revealed even more cast updates for its Harry Potter series just in time for Halloween.

The network has announced that Leo Bill, Andrew Brooke, Daniel Fearn, Laura Smyth and David Threlfall have joined the season 1 cast of the upcoming series.

Bill will play Nearly Headless Nick, Brooke is taking on the role of the Bloody Baron, Fearn has been cast as the Fat Friar, Smyth will play the Fat Lady and Threlfall will take on the voice of the Sorting Hat.

“Who haunts these halls?” HBO Max captioned a casting announcement Instagram post.

Nearly Headless Nick, the Bloody Baron and the Fat Friar are ghosts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who, alongside the portrait of the Fat Lady, allow the Gryffindor students into their dormitory if given the correct password.

The Sorting Hat, of course, is the famous hat that when placed on the head of new students at Hogwarts decides which house they will be placed in.

The first season of the series, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will air on HBO and debut on HBO Max on Christmas Day 2026.

HBO renewed its Harry Potter series for season 2 on May 6, months ahead of the debut of the show’s first season.

Dominic McLaughlin leads the cast as Harry Potter. He stars alongside Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton, who play Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The show is described as a faithful adaptation of the books by J.K. Rowling, who serves as an executive producer.