HBO’sHarry Potterremake has its new Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, and this casting has officially avoided a major movie change. Warner Bros. has been steadily rolling out casting news for the upcomingHarry PotterTV show, and many of the most significant roles, such as the Golden Trio, Albus Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid, Severus Snape, and more, have been officially cast. Now, it’s time for a few of the supporting cast members of theHarry Potterremaketo be known.
Among other casting announcements, including the reveal that Katherine Parkinson will play Molly Weasley, came the news thatBel Powley and Daniel Rigby will play Petunia and Vernon Dursleyin the upcomingHarry Potterremake. These are Harry’s abusive aunt and uncle, who took him in following his parents' deaths. Petunia is Lily Potter’s older sister, and though the two were close as young children, they had become estranged before the witch’s death. Fiona Shaw and Richard Griffiths previously played the Dursleys in theHarry Pottermovies, butthe remake’s casting is quite different.
The Harry Potter Show’s Aunt Petunia & Uncle Vernon Actors Are Much Closer In Age To Their Book Characters
Petunia Dursley Should Only Be About 34 In Sorcerer’s Stone
WhenHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonewas released, the actors who played Petunia and Vernon Dursley were significantly older than their characters were in the books. While we don’t know Petunia’s exact age,she was a few years older than Lily, who was only 21 when she was murdered. This means that when Harry received his Hogwarts letter 11 years later, Petunia should have been about 34 or 35. In theSorcerer’s Stonemovie, Shaw was about a decade older at 42. Then there was Griffiths, who first portrayed Vernon when he was 54 years old.
In contrast, Powley and Rigby are quite a bit younger. Our new Petunia actor is currently 33 years old, so just about in line with her book counterpart. Rigby is 42, which may be a bit older than theHarry Potterbooks implied Vernon to be. However, this is still younger than the character previously appeared on screen. Overall, this is great news. After so long, it’s hard to imagine anyone else but Shaw and Griffiths playing Petunia and Vernon. However, this also means thatour perception of Petunia and Vernon has been subconsciously shifted.
The Harry Potter movies completely lost this emotional weight by casting older actors, but HBO’s remake can bring it back.
James and Lily Potter were only 21 when they died, which means that Petunia was only about 23 when she lost her sister. The whole situation is far more tragic when remembering these characters' ages, since Petunia couldn’t have cut off contact with Lily for long before the younger sister died.They were barely more than kids, but their choices became permanent in ways they were too young to have anticipated. TheHarry Pottermoviescompletely lost this emotional weight by casting older actors, but HBO’s remake can bring it back.
Why Harry Potter’s Movie Adaptations Made That Generation So Much Older Than Their Book Counterparts
The Harry Potter Movies Needed Seasoned Actors
Though we can’t know for certain why older actors were cast to play Lily and James' generation in theHarry Pottermovies, the impressive cast itself provides a hint. Back whenHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonewas being made into a movie, JK Rowling’s books weren’t nearly as well-known as they are now. Granted, this book series was undoubtedly a big deal, but it wasn’t yet a massive phenomenon.Warner Bros needed a way to draw audiences into the theaters. With such young and unknown actors playing the Golden Trio, a cast of iconic, legendary actors in the adult roles was the best approach.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s StoneKey Facts Breakdown
$125 million
$974 million
80%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
82%
Shaw and Griffiths had already left their mark on the film industry, just like Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, and other adultHarry Pottermovie actors.These legends made the films more appealing to adult audienceswho hadn’t read the books. This isn’t so much a factor going into HBO’sHarry Potterremake. Between the books and movies, this franchise is already massively popular, so the IP itself is the draw. This opens the door for HBO to feature a different sort of cast. In the case of Vernon and Petunia, this means a younger set of stars.
