Even before the official shoot has begun, the Harry Potter web series has stirred up quite the storm. After introducing Harry, Hermione and Ron, the makers, on Tuesday, unveiled the actors who will be playing Draco Malfoy, Vernon Dursley, Aunt Petunia, and others, and Potterheads have too many questions to ask.
Fans of the cult fiction bashed the makers, particularly for casting Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley and Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, as they felt that the actors were "too good looking" to play their parts. The apprehension stems from the fact that both of them have been described rather differently in JK Rowling's original Harry Potter book series.
Vernon is described as a "ruddy-faced man with hardly any neck, with a thatch of black hair on his head and a bristly black moustache" in the books. He is said to be brash, arrogant and a bully. Aunt Petunia, on the other hand, is described as "thin and bony, with blonde hair and a horse face" in the books, with large eyes and a pale face.
While the Harry Potter films had cast the actors in both the roles true to their book description, the makers of the TV series seem to have disappointed the ardent fans. "The fact that Petunia and Vernon are that attractive is insanely bad casting (sic)," a user wrote on X, while another stated, "I am 1.5 chapters in and I already can tell you those two actors are WAY too attractive to be The Dursleys. Unless they really ugly them up and put the man in a fat suit and makeup….its not going to work (sic)."
"Why Petunia and Vernon Dursley are so hot and sexy!?" a fan questioned. "Why are the casting choices for Vernon and Petunia Dursley attractive?" another asked.
The makers also received backlash for casting Italian actress Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, who is said to be Indian in the books. And the one casting that Potterheads still cannot wrap their heads around has to be that of Papa Esseidu as Severus Snape.
In May, HBO had finally introduced the three lead actors of the story to the world. "Please welcome Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley to the HBO Original Series Harry Potter," the post read.
The first season of the Harry Potter TV series was earlier announced to be slated for a 2026 release. However, the show faced several setbacks, and if reports are to be believed, it has now been pushed to 2027.
