Daniel Radcliffe is confident new Harry Potter Dominic McLaughlin will be ‘better than me’, urges media, fans to be kind

Daniel Radcliffe, who famously portrayed Harry Potter in the film series, has weighed in on young actor Dominic McLaughlin taking on the role.

Updated on: Feb 19, 2026 8:17 AM IST

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The announcement of the HBO show on Harry Potter has met with divisive reactions. The fans of the books are looking forward to a new adaptation that may be more faithful to the source material, while others are wondering if there was a need for a new adaptation less than 15 years after the films ended. The new lead cast has also elicited some interesting reactions.

Dominic McLaughlin (R) will play Harry Potter, a role immortalised by Daniel Radcliffe in the films.

Daniel Radcliffe on new Harry Potter

Now, Daniel Radcliffe, who made a name for himself as Harry Potter in the eight-film series, has backed young Dominic McLaughlin to not just excel in the role, but be better than him. The actor said he believes the new lead will surpass his own performance in the iconic role.

During a YouTube segment, Daniel was asked about the new adaptation of JK Rowling's beloved novels, which HBO plans to develop across eight seasons. The actor responded generously, reserving praise for 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin.

“I'm sure Dominic is going to be better than me. I learned as I went. I look back on what I did now with a lot more kindness, and I find it less embarrassing now that I'm older. But I was very much learning how to do it for a long time on Potter,” Daniel said.

Daniel Radcliffe wants no comparisons

Amid speculation and dissection of the new casting, Daniel urged the media and fans to allow the new cast to carve their own path without constant comparisons to the original stars.

“When these kids got cast, there's a whole thing around the internet, around the world, people being like, 'We've got to look after these kids.'If you mean that, if everyone really means what they are saying, then one of the things you can do for me is not ask about me and Rupert (Grint) all the time,” he added.

Rupert Grint played Ron Weasley in the original film series. Emma Watson rounded off the main cast, playing Hermione Granger. The Harry Potter films are based on the seven-book series by JK Rowling, which is one of the most-read book series of all time.

All about Harry Potter

The films began in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and ended just over a decade later with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The books deal with Harry Potter, a young boy who is told at the age of 11 that he is a wizard as were his dead parents. Over the next seven years, he studies at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, discovering the hidden wizarding world, while also battling the returning dark wizard, Voldemort. The film series was also hugely popular and sparked a spinoff franchise - Fantastic Beasts.

The new Harry Potter series is expected to premiere in 2027, with subsequent seasons planned to release annually till 2034.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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