The road to HBO’sHarry Pottertelevision reboot is moving rapidly into production, with several stars confirmed as part of the ensemble this past week. Since the reboot announcement, the series has faced backlash and scrutiny from dedicated fans and will undoubtedly be compared to the original film franchise. The casting has already received criticism, which doesn’t come as a surprise, as the film franchise was composed of legendary actors like Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, and Ralph Fiennes.
The studio has found its Hogwarts staff in Luke Thallon, John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, andPaul Whitehouse. These cast members are set to take on the iconic roles of Hagrid, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Quirrell, and Filch. However, there’s one actor that die-hard fans will recognize among the list of names released this week, as he has a history with the Harry Potter story.
Whitehouse, who was announced to portray the prickly caretaker Argus Filch, has a history with the Wizarding World. The comedian has appeared in theHarry Potterfilm franchise as a minor character whose scenes were unfortunately cut from the third film installment,Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.To maintain the film’s formula and pacing,Whitehouse’s scenes were ultimately cut to adhere to the runtime. It appears that the second time is a charm as the comedian returns to the mythical and fantastical world of the Boy Who Lived, and this time in a more prominent role that could keep his character around for as long as the TV series runs.
Harry Potter
Paul Whitehouse Played a Minor Role in ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’
Before it was announced that he was cast as Argus Filch, Whitehouse’s journey withtheHarry Potterfranchisebegan in the early 2000s. In the 2004 filmHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment in theHarry Potterfilm franchise,Whitehouse portrayed a minor character named Sir Cadogan, a flashy knight.
For those familiar with the films and the lore of the novels, Cadogan is one of the living portraits that can be found in Hogwarts. These portraits are enchanted pieces that can move, speak, and interact with people in other paintings and the real world. They are created by wizards and witches, but their liveliness is limited — they can’t produce new thoughts, and are subjected to repeating what they’ve been taught by those they interact with.
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In the film, Cadogan takes over for the Fat Lady (Dawn French) after Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) attacks her painting to gain access to Gryffindor’s common room. He fills in as the custodian for Gryffindor’s dormitories, and the students quickly realize that they would rather listen to the Fat Lady practice her operatic aspirations. Each house is assigned a password to get through to their dormitories and keep intruders out, but Cadogan changes the passwords constantly, annoying the students, and he’s terminated from his role after it’s discovered that he was the one who gave Sirius access to the common room.
However, most of this was cut from the film to meet the runtime requirements and keep the pacing intact.His scenes can be found in the deleted scenes feature, showing him interacting with students and confirming to McGonagall that Sirius was in the Gryffindor common room.
Whitehouse Will Bring a Comedic Touch to Argus Filch in the ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot
Whitehouse follows in David Bradley’s footsteps and fills his shoes as the new Argus Filch intheHarry Potterreboot series. Filch is the caretaker of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is a Squib, the magical term for someone born from magical parents but doesn’t possess the gift of magic themselves. His role consists of keeping students in line, to an extent, and preventing them from causing trouble as much as he can. While he doesn’t enforce disciplinary action, he’s always keen to give his input. He’s always accompanied by Mrs. Norris, a loyal cat who serves as his eyes and ears, helping him catch students breaking the rules.
In theHarry Potterfilms, Bradley managed to capture the character’s ill-tempered nature and often provided the movies with brief comedic levity.Whitehouse should have no trouble bringing a comedic element to the character, given his renowned comedy work. He’s starred in shows likeHarry & Paul, The Fast Show,andHarry Enfield & Chums,but he also has acting credits in films, including voicing the March Hare in Disney’s live-actionAlice in Wonderlandfilms and Paul the Head Waiter in Tim Burton’sCorpse Bride.
Whitehouse has also worked with Michael Caine in the 2018 filmKing of Thievesand Johnny Depp in the 2015 filmMortdecai.By taking on this role, Whitehouse faces immense pressure from longtime fans and should prepare for comparisons to Bradley’s performance and how he’ll honor the character from the novels.
The Casting News Has Some ‘Harry Potter’ Fans on Edge
TheHarry Potterfilm franchise had an incredibly talented and iconic cast ensemble that delivered performances that continue to resonate with fans, new and old. Theoriginal cast brought these characters to life, from page to screen, so it’s understandable for fans to have an attachment to people who changed their lives.
Since the beginning, the reboot has faced criticism, with some saying it’s too soon or the story should remain untouched. The film franchise consisted of eight movies and three spin-off films, which made $9.5 billion (viaStatista), and the book series has made at least $7.7 billion in book sales. These numbers would intimidate anyone who wants to be involved in any part of the creative process of apotentialHarry Potterspin-off or reboot.
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The first six actors who will portray the Hogwarts staff were recently announced, and they have been met with a mixed response from the fanbase.Redditusers didn’t hold back their thoughts and opinions on the series and the casting choices.
@PeaWaste7407 said:
Paul Whitehouse as Filch is just perfect. Simplicity in its finest.
Another user, @Ssj4Noah, said:
The reputation of the marauders is about to go into the toilet
@Known-Disaster-4757 added:
It got me more intrigued honestly. Now I really want to see how they handle things and how people react.
If this was the response to the Hogwarts staff’s casting, it leaves one wondering what the reaction will be when HBO announces the casting for Harry, Ron, and Hermione.HBO’sHarry Potterreboot series is expected to premiere sometime in 2027.
