Exciting news for Potterheads! HBO's upcoming 'Harry Potter' series has found its Petunia and Vernon Dursley. Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby have been exclusively revealed to be taking on the roles of Harry's less-than-loving aunt and uncle in the highly anticipated TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling's beloved book series.
Fans of the books will immediately recognize the significance of these characters. Petunia Dursley, the sister of Harry's mother Lily, and her husband Vernon, are tasked with raising Harry after the tragic death of his parents. However, they resentfully take him in, forcing him to live in a cupboard under the stairs and treating him more like a servant than a family member.
A New Generation of Dursleys
While Fiona Shaw and Richard Griffiths famously portrayed Petunia and Vernon in the 'Harry Potter' film franchise, Powley and Rigby will bring a fresh perspective to the roles. In keeping with the show's aim to align more closely with the characters' ages in the books, the actors appear to be a bit younger than their film counterparts. In 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone', Petunia and Vernon are in their mid-thirties.
More Key Roles Announced
Powley and Rigby aren't the only actors joining the magical world. HBO has also announced several other key casting decisions, including Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.
- Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
- Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
- Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
- Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
- John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
- Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall
- Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid
The series is committed to bringing the magic of the books to life on the small screen, and this new casting news has fans eagerly anticipating the premiere.