HBO's Harry Potter Makes Two Strong Casting Choices That Hint At Fixing A Big Movie Problem

HBO’s Harry Potter remake has officially cast its new Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, and it makes me hopeful that further casting choices will correct an old movie problem. As much as we love the Harry Potter movies, it’s hard to deny that they weren’t quite book-accurate. The shorter format of film meant that the full story in all its complexity couldn’t be brought to the screen, and the upcoming TV remake is an effective way to correct this. What’s more, recent casting announcements reveal that some of the continuity issues from the Harry Potter films will also be corrected.

The parts of Petunia and Vernon Dursley will be played by Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby in the Harry Potter TV remake. This is hugely encouraging, since these actors are far closer in age to their characters than their movie counterparts. In the Harry Potter films, Petunia and Vernon were played by Fiona Shaw and Richard Griffiths, who, though spectacular, were a decade or so older than their canon characters. HBO’s change here will have a significant impact on the themes of Harry’s story, and this fact gives me hope that James and Lily Potter will be cast more appropriately as well.

HBO’s Must Cast Even Younger Actors To Play Lily & James Potter In The Harry Potter Remake

Petunia & Vernon’s Casting Is A Great Start

Powley and Rigby look shockingly young compared to their Harry Potter movie predecessors. Powley is currently in her early 30s, which is precisely the age range that Petunia should be in when Harry starts school at Hogwarts. Harry’s aunt was only a couple of years older than his mother, who was a tragic 21 years old when she was murdered by Lord Voldemort. Since HBO’s Harry Potter remake has gotten Petunia’s age right, we can hope that the currently unknown casting for Lily and James will be corrected as well.

James and Lily were little more than children when they gave their lives in the war against Voldemort, and that’s a fact that resonates throughout the story.

If the new Vernon and Petunia’s youth is surprising, then Lily and James should be even more so. It’s profoundly important that it be clear that the Potters were tragically young when they were killed. This is a concept that was lost in the Harry Potter movies, where Harry’s parents were played by Adrian Rawlins and Geraldine Somerville, who were 43 and 34, respectively, when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone hit theaters in 2001. James and Lily were little more than children when they gave their lives in the war against Voldemort, and that’s a fact that resonates throughout the story.

It was a problem that James and Lily seemed so much older in the Harry Potter movies, but it’s looking likely that HBO will deliver on much younger actors. Whoever is cast should only be about a decade older than our new Golden Trio (Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout). Then, the TV show can take this further by casting several more actors to play these and other roles from Lily and James’ generation.

The Harry Potter Show’s New Vernon & Petunia Look Great, But HBO Can Take Its Casting Even Further

HBO Can Really Expand These Characters’ Stories With Multiple Actors

Powley and Rigby look as if they will be excellent for Petunia and Vernon. However, since HBO seems to be committing itself to more age-accurate casting, it would be even better if the Harry Potter series took things even further. At the start of season 1, when the Dursleys take the one-year-old Harry in, Petunia should only be about 23. Powley could be aged down with some on-screen magic, but it may be even more effective for every member of this generation to have several actors locked into playing them at different ages.

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It would be especially encouraging to get news that more actors have been cast to play Petunia and Vernon, since it would mean that HBO’s Harry Potter remake could take advantage of its TV format by including a variety of flashback scenes. We could see Harry grow up, or even get a glimpse at the Dursleys and Potters as their relationships fell apart (something Rowling has described as only happening shortly before Lily’s death). The Harry Potter remake has so much more opportunity than the movies, and its casting is a great way to take advantage.