Actor Daisy Ridley may be excited about HBO‘s upcoming Harry Potter series, but that doesn’t mean that she wants to appear in the hotly-anticipated reboot.
No casting has been officially confirmed for the television reboot yet, although American actor John Lithgow is reportedly in final talks to portray Dumbledore. While Rowling had a rule in place for the film series that prevented Warner Bros. from casting non-British actors in key roles, Lithgow’s potential casting suggests that this stipulation has been scrapped for the television series.
Either way, Ridley — who was born and raised in London, England — has no interest in joining the production of Harry Potter. During a Q&A at a recent screening of her new movie Cleaner (via Screen Rant), Ridley explained that she isn’t seeking out a role due to the amount of pressure that would be placed on her.
“I haven’t asked to be a part of it because, honestly, I am so… Those performances are so phenomenal that I feel it would be so terrifying to take on one of those roles,” she stated. “Just, I mean… a huge commitment of time, but really it’s just, I just love the films. I love the performances. And I’m really looking forward to seeing what they do with them, because they will clearly be so different. But, oh my God, the pressure would be so high.”
Announced in April 2023, the Harry Potter reboot will be a small-screen adaptation of author J.K. Rowling’s fantasy novel series of the same name, which has sold millions of copies worldwide. The first season, adapting The Sorcerer’s Stone (published outside the U.S. as The Philosopher’s Stone), is being written by Francesca Gardiner and is expected to debut on HBO in late 2026 or early 2027.
Daisy Ridley will return to the Star Wars galaxy
Ridley knows quite a bit about being part of a franchise that is consistently dealing with high-pressure levels. She was the main star of Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy, appearing as Rey Skywalker opposite an ensemble cast that included Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, and John Boyega.
Disney+ Has the Best Bundle in the Business
Sign-up today for access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+
Sign-ups support Superhero Hype
via affiliate commission
The actor is currently attached to reprise her role in a new Star Wars movie that will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. George Nolfi is writing the screenplay, replacing Steven Knight who departed the project in October 2024. A release date has not been announced yet for the untitled movie.
The Star Wars and Harry Potter movies are available to stream on Disney+ and Max, respectively.
