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The three lead child actors on the new Harry Potter TV series are in for a whopping payday.
Only fresh out of primary school, Dominic McLaughlin, 12, Alastair Stout, 12, and Arabella Stanton, 11, beat over 30,000 fellow hopefuls to secure the respective roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in HBO’s small-screen adaptation.
The reboot’s trio succeed Daniel Radcliffe, now 36, Rupert Grint, 37, and Emma Watson, 35, who were catapulted to unprecedented stardom as youngsters in JK Rowling’s wizarding franchise.
Dominic, Alastair, and Arabella were first seen in proper action this week when the trailer dropped for the upcoming first series, which is due to premiere at Christmas.
And in the wake of all the buzz surrounding that, we finally appear to have the answer to the question on everyone’s lips: how much are they getting paid?
Well, according to a TV insider, the child stars are certain to be the envy of all their Muggle friends, as they’re getting £500,000 for the first season alone.
‘This is a whopping payday for three kids who haven’t even hit their teenage years yet — and it’s just the beginning,’ they told The Sun.
‘They’re being paid £500,000 for the first series. If they keep this up, they’re on track to be multi-millionaires before they turn 18.’
This staggering fee means they are getting upwards of £60k per episode, as there’ll be eight in series 1, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
‘It’s a lot of money for young kids to be handed overnight, but they’re about to become three of the most famous children in the world,’ added the source.
‘Similarly to when Daniel, Emma, and Rupert were cast, their lives are going to change forever.’
Indeed, no one could have predicted what would become of the original leads’ careers when the fantasy books were developed for the silver screen.
The original films also shot the likes of Tom Felton (who played Draco Malfoy), James and Oliver Phelps (Weasley twins Fred and George), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), and Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) to fame.
Meanwhile, other adult actors portrayed roles that became synonymous with their careers and that are still revered today. These included Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, Dame Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, and Sir Michael Gambon as Dumbledore.
How much were the original Harry Potter stars paid?
As the titular character, Daniel Radcliffe was reportedly paid £1million for the first film at the tender age of 12. By the final two, he had made £37.5m.
But the money didn’t stop rolling in once the credits rolled, as the royalties came thick and fast. It’s said he has now amassed a fortune of £96m.
Since his Potter days, Daniel has appeared in The Woman in Black (2012) and earned an Emmy nomination for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022). He’s also had huge theatre success.
Co-lead Emma Watson was reportedly paid £49m for the film franchise in total, with £24m of that coming from the last two films. This puts her hefty fortune just behind Daniel’s at £67m.
Emma has continued to enjoy mega paydays since bagging the part of Hermione at just 10 years old and since appearing in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Beauty and the Beast (2017), and Little Women (2019).
Completing the trio, Rupert Grint made £21m playing Harry’s loveable best friend, Ron. In recent years, his credits have included Knock at the Cabin (2023), and AppleTV+ series Servant.
Speaking previously about his HP earnings, he admitted: ‘It was kind of ridiculous what we got.’
How much money did the Harry Potter films make?
Running from 2001 to 2011, Harry Potter was an incredibly lucrative film series, grossing $7.7billion (£5.8bn) in total at the box office against a $1.2bn (£904m) budget for eight movies.
The final instalment, Deathly Hallows – Part 2, is among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time, having raked in $1.3bn (£979m) alone.
This followed the success of the original books, which have sold over 600m copies worldwide and are the best-selling book series in history.
When is the first Harry Potter TV series out, and is JK Rowling involved?
The first Harry Potter series arrives at ‘Christmas 2026,’ as revealed in the trailer, making the release date far earlier than expected. Originally, it was thought to be coming several months into 2027.
It’s safe to say there’s been a lot of chatter around the whole thing since it was announced, especially given how Rowling serves as an executive producer.
The author has sparked controversy in recent years for her anti-trans comments, which have also been publicly condemned by a string of Harry Potter cast members, including the leads, which has led to feuds.
Consequently, those who have accepted roles in the TV adaptation have come under fire, with the cast comprising John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall.
Still, the former lead stars have sent their support to the children now stepping into their wizarding cloaks and picking up the wands.
Reacting to the casting, Daniel said: ‘They just seem so young. I just look at them and say, “Oh, it’s crazy I was doing that at that age.”
‘But it’s also incredibly sweet, and I hope they’re having a great time.’
The Harry Potter TV series will arrive on HBO this Christmas.
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