Stars of HBO's Harry Potter are on a hiding to nothing

More than 30,000 were called but, finally, three were chosen.

- PHIL HARRISON

As the cast for HBO’s forthcoming serialised adaptation of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter stories is finalised, Dominic McLaughlin (Harry Potter), Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger) and Alastair Stout (Ron Weasley) are the three young stars who find themselves perched precariously on the acting equivalent of Platform 9¾, preparing to launch themselves into a life-defining adventure. Look at their little faces! So young, so earnest, so expectant. Let’s hope that the fearlessness of youth burns strongly within them. Because from an adult perspective, it’s impossible not to feel utterly terrified on their behalf.

These three kids might look like a breath of fresh air but the atmosphere in the world they are about to enter is heavy; clogged with layers of history, controversy, commercial pressure and precedents that are both intimidatingly successful (the books, the films) and worryingly underwhelming (the doomed spin-off movie series Fantastic Beasts). The question must be: why do this at all? After all, there are so many really good reasons not to.