Slow Horses Season 6 Unites Stars From The Harry Potter Movies And Hbo Series

Apple TV

The "Harry Potter" movies, which were released in theaters from 2001-2011, featured some of the best British actors on the planet. The popularity of the novels, deep roster of characters, and extremely English setting meant there was plenty of room for terrific actors to pop in and make their mark, even in undersized roles. Richard Harris, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, John Hurt, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes ... the cast list is objectively astonishing, and we haven't even mentioned the fact that, starting in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Gary Oldman also joined the ensemble. Since 2022, Oldman has been the star of "Slow Horses," which is the best spy show on television, and in Season 6, that Apple TV series has united the "Harry Potter" movie veteran with an actor who's about to appear in the upcoming "Harry Potter" TV show.

On "Slow Horses," Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, the disgusting but highly competent agent who oversees a group of younger screw-ups as they all operate on the outskirts of the British intelligence community. In Season 6, Lamb comes in contact with Reece Nesmith, a child who needs protection after his father has been murdered. Reece is played by Lenny Rush, a 17-year-old actor with dwarfism who has been cast as Dobby the house-elf in "Harry Potter" Season 2. Oldman and Rush have an amusing scene together in an arcade in the latest episode of "Slow Horses," in which their characters' combative energies result in some comedic sparks.

As for Dobby, that character is a house-elf who works for the Malfoy family but ends up befriending Harry after Harry helps to free him at the end of "Chamber of Secrets." He plays a significant part in the story, working at Hogwarts and eventually saving Harry and Hermione while tragically being killed in the process.

Apple TV

Since so many projects shoot in and around London, there's a UK phenomenon in which the same actors tend to appear across multiple high-profile projects. If you're bored at work one day, check out the crossover of the casts of "Game of Thrones" and "Star Wars" projects and marvel at how many of the same names you'll see. (Warwick Davis! Domhnall Gleeson! Fiona Shaw!) With the U.S. poised to overhaul its financial incentives with a federal tax credit for productions that shoot domestically, it'll be fascinating to see if that phenomenon continues, or if we'll look back on it as a byproduct of this specific era of entertainment. In the meantime, UK casting directors have a ridiculously talented pool of actors to choose from, so for the next few years at least, expect to see a lot of familiar faces continue to cycle through your favorite franchises.

Based on what we've seen so far, "Harry Potter" Season 1 looks like everything we feared: it's so similar to the films, there's little reason to make the show in the first place. (And that's before you take into account the fact that J.K. Rowling has become such a toxic personality that she's inspired several "Harry Potter" movie stars to condemn her anti-trans comments.) We'll find out if our profound skepticism about this series is validated or overblown when Season 1 premieres this Christmas. "Harry Potter" Season 2 does not have an official premiere date yet, but it's reasonable to assume it could debut on HBO sometime in late 2027.