Who is Arabella Stanton? Harry Potter's new Hermione Granger is no stranger to magic

A spellbinding new era of Harry Potter has officially begun.

After months of mystery and speculation, HBO has finally revealed the young actors who will lead its much-anticipated Harry Potter original TV series-and all eyes are on newcomer Arabella Stanton, the young actress cast as Hermione Granger, once famously portrayed by Emma Watson.

Joining Stanton in the trio of magic are Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, completing the new generation of Hogwarts heroes.

The casting announcement, made on May 27, ends a massive search that saw over 32,000 children audition for the legendary roles made famous by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Watson . The casting call, opened last autumn, invited hopefuls aged 9 to 11 from across the UK and Ireland to send in two audition videos-one performing a story or poem, and another sharing something personal about a loved one or pet.

And it was who rose to the top.

Behind the scenes, casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann combed through thousands of auditions to find the perfect fit for the magical trio. And according to the show's creative leads, they found exactly that.

"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," said showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod in a joint statement.

While much of the world is just now discovering Stanton, theatre fans may already recognise her from a stunning West End debut.

In a post shared to an Instagram account believed to belong to the young star, Stanton reflected on playing the lead in Matilda the Musical - a character who famously had the power the move objects.

"I started auditioning for Matilda the Musical the week after my 9th birthday and feel so lucky and honoured to have spent the age of 9 being able to play Matilda Wormwood at the Cambridge Theatre, London for the Royal Shakespeare Company (and at Buckingham Palace for an extra special performance at the BBC 500 Words Final)," the post reads.

"Being able to play the part of Matilda as my West End debut has been incredible .. dreams really can come true!"

The casting of the golden trio is just the latest wave of reveals for the HBO project, which is rapidly assembling a star-studded cast for key roles at Hogwarts and beyond. Here's the full confirmed cast list as of May 27, 2025:

• Harry Potter - Dominic McLaughlin

• Ron Weasley - Alastair Stout

• Hermione Granger - Arabella Stanton

• Albus Dumbledore - John Lithgow

• Minerva McGonagall - Janet McTeer

• Severus Snape - Paapa Essiedu

• Rubeus Hagrid - Nick Frost

• Quirinus Quirrell - Luke Thallon

• Argus Filch - Paul Whitehouse

Notably absent are casting announcements for major characters like Lord Voldemort, Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and the Weasley twins-fans are eagerly awaiting those reveals.

And while this reboot won't feature any returning actors from the original film series, one familiar name has chimed in. Matthew Lewis, beloved as Neville Longbottom in the original franchise, has ruled out reprising his old role-but he hasn't shut the door entirely.

"Too old to play Neville again," Lewis admitted-but added he'd love the chance to play Remus Lupin, the troubled but wise Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

With a young cast ready to take on the wizarding world and a bold new vision from HBO, a magical future awaits-and Arabella Stanton may just be at the heart of it.