More Potter Casting Confirmed

Finally! After months of speculation, rumours and news reports, Warner Bros. released an official cast list for Harry Potter on their website yesterday (8 November). As expected, Brit-thesps Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Dame Maggie Smith and Zo Wanamaker have all been officially confirmed for the eagerly awaited project, currently shooting in various locations around the UK. There are no real surprises on the list. Harris will play Hogwarts Professor Dumbledore, Rickman stars as Potions Professor Snape, Coltrane is Hagrid, Smith is Professor McGonagall, and Wannamaker will play Madame Hooch. They join Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw as Harry’s Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia and Ian Hart as Professor Quirrell who were all confirmed by director Chris Columbus at a press conference last August when the lead role of Harry was announced. Last week Warner Bros. also confirmed that John Cleese would appear as Harry’s ghostly friend, Nearly Headless Nick aka Sir Nicholas De Mimsy-Popington and Julie Walters, hot on the heels of Billy Elliot, will play Mrs Weasly, the mother of Harry’s best friend Ron. Cleese had already jumped the gun by confirming his appearance in the movie last month. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is due for simultaneous release in the UK and US in November 2001.