Rupert Grint wrote a letter to HBO’s new Ron Weasley — here’s what he told him
Rupert Grint’s buzzing about HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series — and he’s sent new Ron Weasley Alastair Stout one heartfelt wish, a neat full-circle touch we didn’t see coming.
I suppose it was only a matter of time before the world got itself a new Harry Potter, wasn't it? HBO is having another go, this time with a glossy series adaptation of the original books, and – in a twist that's weirdly heartwarming – Rupert Grint is properly chuffed about it all. For the uninitiated, Grint spent most of his adolescence wielding a wand as Ron Weasley and, apparently, he’s not remotely precious about someone else taking over.
Passing the Ginger Torch
It’s Alastair Stout stepping into Ron’s battered old trainers for this version, which kicks off at Christmas. Instead of keeping it stiff-upper-lip, Grint's already been in touch with the lad – not that Stout needed his blessing, but nice to see Grint embracing the whole full-circle thing. The original Ron sent a letter off before filming, just to make things a bit less daunting. While chatting to Entertainment Tonight, Grint had this to say:
He said, 'Yes. I wrote a letter to Alistair. He was a player, Ron, just a few words to have support, 'cause it was, I mean, just such a fun time for me. I really hope they they've had the same experience.'
Very decent of him, really. Given he'd first picked up Ron's wand when he was only 11 years old, it's not surprising there's a soft spot there.
On the subject of cameos, Grint didn't rule it out—more of a sheepish laugh and a 'who knows?' for fans holding out hope. But let's not get distracted: his main priority is making sure the new Ron has as much fun as he did.
Wizarding Alumni and Newcomers
There's more: Grint isn’t the only OG Weasley making headlines. He’s set to return as a grown-up Ron in the Broadway run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child next February through May 2027 – so he’s essentially covering both ends of the timeline at once.
Meanwhile, Daniel Radcliffe (original Harry himself) also weighed in on the reboot. He reckons that Dominic McLaughlin, the franchise's freshly-minted Harry, doesn’t need unsolicited advice from the old guard, and he’s not about to pile on the 'just a few tips' pressure. Radcliffe’s confident McLaughlin will do fine, though he seems undecided on whether he’ll tune in himself. No word if there’s a Hogwarts alumni WhatsApp group firing off memes about the new trio yet.
- Alastair Stout – Ron Weasley
- Dominic McLaughlin – Harry Potter
- Arabella Stanton – Hermione Granger
- John Lithgow – Albus Dumbledore (yes, that John Lithgow – bit inspired, that casting)
- Janet McTeer – Minerva McGonagall
- Paapa Essiedu – Severus Snape
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone kicks off on 25 December 2026 over on HBO Max.