The original Harry told the AP that "eight hours is a lot of anything to watch," 45 days before the HBO show's Christmas Day debut. Meanwhile, new Snape Paapa Essiedu opened up to Vanity Fair.
The boy who lived may skip the new show.
Daniel Radcliffe told The Associated Press he isn't sure he'll watch HBO's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which premieres Friday, Dec. 25 on HBO and HBO Max. That's 45 days from Tuesday.
"I don't know if I will, honestly," Radcliffe said, as TheWrap and ABC Audio reported on Monday and Tuesday. His reason is less dramatic than fans might guess. He just doesn't watch much TV.
"I haven't seen Breaking Bad. I haven't seen Mad Men," he said. The first season runs eight episodes, and Radcliffe did that math, too. "Eight hours is a lot of anything to watch."
He also won't be coaching the new Harry, Dominic McLaughlin. "I'm really truly in the business of not giving Dominic advice," Radcliffe said. "He's got it."
His worry? Anything he says would follow McLaughlin around. "I don't want to haunt this poor child through interviews," he said.
Forbes noted that Radcliffe wrote McLaughlin a note of support when he was cast but still hasn't met him. Radcliffe said he hopes he will someday.
What did Paapa Essiedu say about playing Snape?
Paapa Essiedu, who plays Severus Snape, talked about the series in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday.
He kept the focus on the story itself. He said he thinks about its "themes of forgiveness, and good triumphing over evil," plus accepting people for who they are, Just Jared and ScreenRant reported from the interview.
He said the story "still has the potential to do really, really, really beautiful things."
Much of the Vanity Fair conversation covered author J.K. Rowling, who is an executive producer on the series. Essiedu said he is "not really here to speak about Jo's politics." He said he believes everyone, including trans and queer people, deserves respect, dignity and safety.
How long will Essiedu play Snape?
Possibly a decade. HBO plans one season per book, and Essiedu told The Times of London in March that he'll be 45 by the time he finishes.
He also said then that he never saw the movies. He read the books as a kid, when his mom took him to the library during school holidays. "I loved Harry Potter," he said.
That makes two of them. One Potter star who hasn't watched the films, and one who may not watch the show.
When does the Harry Potter series premiere and where can I watch it?
The first episode drops Dec. 25, 2026 on HBO, and it streams on HBO Max. Season 1 adapts the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, across eight episodes.
HBO hasn't posted a full episode schedule. Greek outlet Unboxholics reported an early schedule with weekly Sunday episodes from Jan. 3 to Feb. 14, ending on Valentine's Day. Treat that as unconfirmed until HBO posts it.
Warner Bros. Discovery isn't thinking small. Streaming boss J.B. Perrette called it "the biggest streaming event in the history of HBO Max," Forbes noted.
Who is in the cast of HBO's Harry Potter?
Here's the main lineup, per Warner Bros. Discovery's press site:
Harry Potter: Dominic McLaughlin
Hermione Granger: Arabella Stanton
Ron Weasley: Alastair Stout
Albus Dumbledore: John Lithgow
Minerva McGonagall: Janet McTeer
Severus Snape: Paapa Essiedu
Rubeus Hagrid: Nick Frost
Francesca Gardiner is the showrunner, and Mark Mylod directs several episodes. HBO already renewed the show for a second season based on Chamber of Secrets, with Kit Harington joining as Gilderoy Lockhart, TheWrap reported.
Where can I hear Daniel Radcliffe next?
In a fairy tale, oddly enough. Radcliffe voices the Prince in Netflix's animated movie Steps, which tells Cinderella from the stepsisters' side. It streams Nov. 20, and Radcliffe attended its world premiere on Nov. 8.
So families can catch the original Harry on Netflix the week before Thanksgiving, then the new Harry on HBO Max at Christmas. Radcliffe may only be watching one of those.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
The Associated Press via ABC Audio and Yahoo Entertainment (Nov. 10, 2026), Radcliffe's quotes, the Steps premiere and the series title and date
TheWrap (Nov. 9, 2026), Radcliffe's quotes, cast list and Season 2 casting
Vanity Fair via Just Jared and ScreenRant (Nov. 10, 2026), Essiedu's comments on the story and on Rowling, and the eight-episode, Dec. 25 details
Forbes (Nov. 10, 2026), Radcliffe's note to McLaughlin and the J.B. Perrette quote
TheWrap and Variety Australia (March 21, 2026), Essiedu's Times of London comments on the books and his age at the finish
Warner Bros. Discovery press site (March 27, 2026), the cast list and HBO/HBO Max platforms
Unboxholics (Nov. 9, 2026), the unconfirmed weekly episode schedule
Netflix Tudum (Oct. 15, 2026), Radcliffe's role in Steps and its Nov. 20 date
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