Chris Columbus learned a lot from directing Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, and shared how the experience impacted his casting of Harry Potter. Columbus, who helmed both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,

HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series has launched a casting call for young actors. The casting call was opened earlier this week, and the TV network has confirmed its authenticity to Variety. To be eligible for the roles of Harry, Ron or Hermione, children must be between the ages of nine and 11 in April 2025 and be residents of the UK or Ireland.

The Harry Potter films crammed a lot into the eight films – but not all the actors were happy with their allotted screen time. Adapted from JK Rowking’s popular books, the film franchise ran from 2001’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,

Chris Columbus has directed some of the most iconic child performances in movie history as the filmmaker behind “Home Alone” and the first two “Harry Potter” films, and his tip for finding the right kids is to make sure they have the right parents.

"I can't have [an actor] go home to a really sort of shaky environment for the sake of a film. It's not worth it," the filmmaker said.