Lupin, Tonks, Arthur Weasley, and Molly Weasley gathered in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince©Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection
By
Matthew Rudoy
Published Feb 9, 2026, 7:45 PM EST
Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2022, became a news writer in 2023, a senior staff writer in 2024, and an editor in 2025.
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Ahead of HBO's Harry Potter show, a star from the original movies is tired of being asked about returning to the franchise.
Season 1, which will be adapted from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is in production and expected to be released in 2027. The cast of HBO's Harry Potter is mostly composed of actors who did not star in the films. The only exception so far is Warwick Davis, who returns to reprise the role of Professor Filius Flitwick. Nevertheless, the actors from the movies are frequently asked about whether they would return for the show or for the franchise while they are promoting other projects.
In an interview with ScreenTime, David Thewlis was asked whether he would like to play Professor Remus Lupin again or if he would like to return as a different character. He emphasized that he has no interest in either option, as he is too old to portray Lupin now, had plenty of time with Harry Potter, and is "sick" of talking about it and a potential return. Thewlis clarified that he does still enjoy Harry Potter for how it makes children happy, though. Check out his comments below:
I feel like I'd be far too old to play my original character now. And no, I wouldn't want to go back into it because I've had quite enough of that, sick of talking about it quite honestly.
It is nice because with Harry Potter it's kids and kids get very kind of impressed and very overawed, and it's very nice to make kids happy.
Thewlis appeared in five of the eight Harry Potter movies, first in Prisoner of Azkaban, and later on in Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and both installments of Deathly Hallows. Lupin was most prominent in Prisoner of Azkaban as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, but he continued to play a supporting role as a member of the Order of the Phoenix in the later films. When his franchise debut was released in 2004, Thewlis was 41 years old and Lupin is in his thirties.
Since HBO is adapting one Harry Potter book per season, Lupin will not be entering the show until season 3, unless there is a significant deviation from the source material. A new actor, closer in age to the character and to Thewlis in the early 2000s, will likely be cast for the role. Beyond Davis playing Flitwick, the actors portraying Hogwarts faculty and staff in the series includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Sirina Saba as Pomona Sprout, Bríd Brennan as Poppy Pomfrey, and Louise Brealey as Rolanda Hooch.
Screen Rant Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters
Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.The younger Harry Potter cast features Dominic McLaughlin as the titular character, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, and Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley. Francesca Gardiner is the showrunner and executive produces alongside Mark Mylod and David Heyman, the latter of whom was a producer for all Harry Potter movies.
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