The new Harry Potter TV series hasn’t aired a second of footage, but one of its stars will be judged by fans long before it premieres on HBO.
Arabella Stanton, the young actress cast as Hermione Granger in the upcoming HBO reboot, will also play the character in Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions, Audible’s newly announced re-recording of all seven books. She’s the first confirmed HBO cast member to step into her Wizarding World role publicly — which also means she’ll be the first cast member from the live-action series who will be critiqued by Potterheads.
Best known for her lead performance in Matilda on the West End stage, Stanton was announced earlier this year alongside Dominic McLaughlin (Harry Potter) and Alastair Stout (Ron Weasley). Since then, a viral audition clip of Stanton — for an undisclosed role — circulated on social media, with fans calling her a perfect candidate to play Hogwarts’ brightest witch, Hermione Granger.
On August 5, Audible dropped its own lineup, including Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort — a role HBO has yet to publicly cast — and Stanton as Miss Granger.
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That puts her in unique company. She’s now the second actor to play their character in two separate timelines, following Tom Felton’s return as Draco Malfoy in the upcoming Broadway version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
So far, HBO’s series has confirmed more than 20 actors, including John Lithgow as Dumbledore and Nick Frost as Hagrid. But it’s Stanton — not the A-listers — who gets to set the tone.
While filming on HBO’s series is underway, Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions has its schedule locked:
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Sorcerer’s Stone — Nov. 4, 2025
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Chamber of Secrets — Dec. 16, 2025
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Prisoner of Azkaban — Jan. 13, 2026
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Goblet of Fire — Feb. 10, 2026
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Order of the Phoenix — Mar. 10, 2026
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Half-Blood Prince — Apr. 14, 2026
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Deathly Hallows — May 12, 2026
There’s still no release date for the HBO series.
Which are you most excited for, the Harry Potter HBO series or the new audible series? Let us know in the comments down below!
