Hermione Has Been Cast for the HBO 'Harry Potter' Series, and Folks Are Falling Apart

There are few things more divisive in the world of television than the Harry Potter series that is coming to HBO. Some folks have vowed to boycott it based on the many transphobic takes from author J.K. Rowling. Huge fans of the films seem irrationally offended by the series because they believe the movies knocked it out of the park the first time.

Much of the focus has been centered on casting, as a slow rollout of actors has elicited a ton of feelings. In May 2025, it was announced that Arabella Stanton will be playing Hermione Granger. Her ethnicity was a topic of discussion. Here's what we know.

Although HBO revealed who would be playing Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger on the same day, folks zeroed in on Arabella largely because she doesn't look like Emma Watson. The British-born Emma was cast when she was 10 and while the young actor did an incredible job, we have a hot take. She looked nothing like the description of Hermione found in the Harry Potter books, but Arabella does.

In the books, Hermione is described as having "frizzy, untamable dark hair, brown eyes, and protruding teeth." That is certainly not Emma, and while some may say this is an unflattering description of the character, Arabella is closer to the book's idea of Hermione. Both have dark, wavy hair and brown eyes. As a reminder, Emma's hair had to be curled in the first couple of films before the stylist clearly gave up, or Hermione figured out how to tame it.

Like Emma, Arabella was also born in England but unlike Emma, Arabella already has experience as an actor. According to The Scotsman, the 11-year-old played Matilda Wormwood in Matilda the Musical in London’s West End from 2023 to 2024. While her ethnicity has not been revealed, we do know she is talented and facing an uphill battle from rabid fans, most of whom are adults.

As of May 2025, Arabella's Instagram account has nearly 14,000 followers, which will undoubtedly change once the show starts. It is reportedly run by her parents and is sticking to work-related posts only. That's smart because she is just a child.

The first post was from December 2023 and is a picture of Arabella as Matilda in front of a naughty or nice list. Anyone familiar with this story knows that the only name on the naughty list is Matilda's. Following that is a carousel of photos from Matilda. Then in July 2024, a picture of Arabella as Control in Starlight Express shows a little girl who loves a stage. Finally, in May 2025, we meet the Hogwarts trio who will eventually bring down Lord Voldemort. Sorry for writing his name!