News

HBO’s HARRY POTTER Casts Hogwarts Ghosts, the Fat Lady and the Sorting Hat

Five new performers are bringing Hogwarts’ familiar spirits, portrait and Sorting Hat into HBO’s television adaptation.

By KazooWatch Newsroom
Editor, KazooWatch

Published November 4, 2026 · 3:15 PM EST

HBO is continuing to populate Hogwarts, and this time the casting news is less about the students and more about the castle itself.

The television adaptation has confirmed Leo Bill as Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost.

Andrew Brooke will play Slytherin’s Bloody Baron, and Daniel Fearn will portray the Hufflepuff house ghost, the Fat Friar.

Laura Smyth has been cast as the Fat Lady, the moving portrait guarding the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

Harry Potter promotional still.

**Credit:** TMDB / promotional artwork
Promotional artwork
themoviedb.org

David Threlfall will provide the voice of the Sorting Hat, the enchanted object responsible for assigning new students to their Hogwarts houses.

The additions are notable because they fill out the everyday life of the school. The portraits, ghosts and Sorting Hat are not just background decoration. They help make Hogwarts feel like a place with its own history and personality.

The first season adapts HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE. The series is scheduled for Christmas 2026, although this casting announcement does not introduce a new premiere date or trailer.

For fans watching how the new adaptation takes shape, these are recognizable characters and details that will offer an early test of how faithfully, and creatively, HBO recreates Hogwarts.

References
Sources & References

14

Links cited, consulted, or used as background for this article. Inclusion does not imply independent verification of every claim.

About the author

KazooWatch Newsroom

Editor, KazooWatch

The KazooWatch Newsroom covers the latest news and developments in movies, television, streaming, and the entertainment industry. Combining modern research tools, AI-assisted preparation, and hands-on editorial judgment, our coverage is carefully selected, reviewed, and edited before publication. We believe in accurate, responsible entertainment journalism that informs readers without unnecessary hype or sensationalism. Original features, reviews, and opinion pieces are credited to the individual writers behind them.