I Might've Solved The New Harry Potter Show's Biggest Casting Dilemma
Some fans want the OG Harry Potter cast in the new series; others don’t as it would break the immersion. I say, why not please both groups? It’s no rocket science.
Summary:
- Disney announced its upcoming Harry Potter TV that will adapt the books all over again.
- Potterheads can’t agree on whether adding the original cast’s cameos is a good idea or not.
- If it was up to me, I’d only invite Dan, Emma, and Rupert for cameos in The Deathly Hallows as the three Ministry workers the Golden Trio disguises as.
Disney’s upcoming Harry Potter TV show has Potterheads around the world nervously excited, me included. We can’t predict whether the new series will respect the source material or completely ruin it, and even though it’s not up to fans to decide, we can’t help but have heated arguments about how the show must approach this or that.
The inclusion of the movie cast is among the most divisive topics among the fans, and rightfully so: it’s a sensitive matter, especially immersion-wise.
Should The OG Cast Have Cameos In The New Show?
After the Disney series was officially announced, two phrases were cried so loudly by so many people around the world they could even be heard through Hogwarts’s soundproofing spells: “Oh NO!” and “They must have Dan, Emma, and Rupert play the Golden Trio’s parents!” The longer phrase happened to be very divisive.
Some fans argue that allowing the movie actors to have cameos in the Disney TV show would be a great move: respecting the OG cast, making the viewers happy and nostalgic, and all the good stuff.
Others claim it would be totally immersion-breaking, and the new adaptation must be completely standalone and not risk its integrity by going for the cheap fan service, which makes sense, too.
But I believe there’s a way to please both these groups; all we need is an easy fix. The original Golden Trio can return, but they shouldn’t play prominent roles.
The OG Harry Potter Cast Must Have Late Cameos
It would indeed be terrible to have Daniel Radcliffe portray James Potter: fans will have a hard time getting used to the new cast as it is, and showing them Dan in the Mirror of Erised in the middle of the first season would be a dumb idea. The same goes for Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as Hermione and Ron’s parents, of course.
But I don’t think we shouldn’t have the original actors’ cameo, either: they can happen, but only much later into the show. In the final season, to be precise.
To infiltrate the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the Golden Trio assumes the identities of three Ministry employees: Albert Runcorn, Mafalda Hopkirk, and Reg Cattermole. In the Disney series, they could be portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, respectively — bingo!
Adding the three actors’ cameos this late into the new show would ensure it has already established its new cast in the audience’s perception, so the appearance of Dan, Emma, and Rupert wouldn’t mess with fans’ immersion. On the contrary, it would be nothing but a nice little surprise and a nod to the old movie fans.
At least, that’s how I would have done it to keep everyone happy.