The television series will chronicle the adventures of beloved characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione during their time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, focusing on the core storyline that originally captivated global audiences. This approach represents a significant departure from recent franchise extensions such as "Fantastic Beasts," which explored the wizarding world's earlier timeline rather than the central narrative that made J.K. Rowling's creation a worldwide phenomenon.

Production activity throughout London created extraordinary scenes as city traffic stopped to accommodate filming requirements, generating widespread social media coverage that amplified fan anticipation for the upcoming series. The street filming sessions provided fans with their first glimpse of the television adaptation that promises to return directly to the source material's rich storytelling foundation.

Harry Potter show films in London as Nick Frost becomes Hagrid with clever trick pic.twitter.com/BVwUiX5gmy

— The Sun (@TheSun) August 18, 2025

Actor Nick Frost, cast as Hagrid, appeared dramatically larger than lead child actor Dominic McLaughlin, cast as Harry, during the recent filming for HBO's highly anticipated Harry Potter television series, as per the iconic scenes of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Frost's transformation included body doubles and facial prosthetics to create the beloved character's massive frame, according to the Daily Mail. Scottish McLaughlin, age 11, portrayed the iconic Harry Potter protagonist while wearing the character's signature glasses and a 90s-style blue, green, and yellow rain jacket. The young performer completed his look with wide-leg jeans and a backpack as he walked alongside Nick Frost's towering Hagrid character.

Nick Frost, the 53-year-old Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead star, wore long curly hair and a matching beard for his transformation into the beloved groundskeeper role originally played by Robbie Coltrane during the Borough High Street filming near London Bridge.

Filming for the HBO program, first announced in April 2023, reached a major milestone in May when the three lead child stars were finally revealed after months of speculation. Dominic McLaughlin secured the protagonist role, while Arabella Stanton will portray Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout takes on Ron Weasley.

Dominic McLaughlin (Harry) with Nick Frost's body double (Hagrid) filming the HARRY POTTER TV series pic.twitter.com/QKYJ6kypst

— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) August 18, 2025

The filming created significant traffic disruption throughout the capital as cast members were photographed outside various London establishments. TikTok users shared footage of the production, writing commentary about Hagrid's scenes being filmed at locations representing the iconic Leaky Cauldron pub.

Harry and Hagrid have been spotted pic.twitter.com/4q5KncyAFm

— Daily Harry Potter (@TheDailyHPotter) August 18, 2025

The initial glimpses have created division among dedicated Harry Potter fans who flooded social media platforms with mixed reactions. Critics expressed skepticism about adapting the beloved franchise, with one user writing, "Why ruin something good?" referring to the original movie adaptation. Others voiced reluctant interest, stating "I know it's going to be bad, but I'll watch it" and "Harry Potter is amazing and loved by all ages. The movies are absolutely timeless. This series... just not needed in my opinion!"

Supporters welcomed the new adaptation and casting choices. "New Harry is exactly what my mind created when I first read the book," one fan commented, while additional positive responses included "This looks great!" and "This looks good, so maybe it might work after all."

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Shannen Doherty, the iconic star of "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Charmed" has died at the age of 53 following a protracted battle with cancer. Doherty, who rose to fame as one of the most prominent teen idols of the 1990s, leaves behind a legacy that spans decades in the entertainment industry.

Doherty, who played Brenda on "Beverly Hills, 90210," battled cancer for many years.

Shannen Doherty has died after years living with cancer, PEOPLE has confirmed. She was 53.

"It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease," Doherty's publicist Leslie Sloane told PEOPLE on Sunday, July 14. "The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace," Sloane continued.

In 2015, the Beverly Hills 90210 star was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"I definitely have days where I say, 'Why me?'" Doherty told PEOPLE after the diagnosis. "And then I go, well, 'Why not me? Who else? Who else besides me deserves this?' None of us do."

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British actor Hugh Laurie will join the cast of the acclaimed Israeli spy series "Tehran," adding another Emmy nominee to the cast of the Emmy-winning series. "Tehran" is produced by Israel's Kan public broadcaster and was picked up globally by Apple TV+.

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The show's ripped-from-the-headlines plot centers on a young Mossad agent tasked with disabling Iranian air defenses to facilitate an Israeli strike against the Islamic Republic's nuclear installations, denying the mullah regime the ability to produce a nuclear weapon.

Laurie, who became prominent in Britain for comedic roles in the 1980s and 1990s, shot to global fame with his compelling portrayal of the titular character, a misanthropic maverick, in "House MD" on Fox. "

Tehran," meanwhile, set its own standard, winning Best Drama Series at the 2021 International Emmy Awards. In its second season, it was joined by award-winning actress Glenn Close.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Twelve years after its initial run ended, the iconic US crime procedural "Law&Order" is getting a reboot – this time, with an Israeli actress.

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Odelya Halevi will be featured in the role of Assistant District Attorney Samathan Maroun.

Halevi, the daughter of a religious family from Rosh Haayin, has lived in Los Angeles since she arrived in the city at age 20 to study acting. She has played guest roles on "Mike and Molly," "NCIS," "Why Women Kill," "MacGyver," and "New Girl," as well as a recurring role on Freeform's "Good Trouble."

In an online panel NBC held ahead of the reboot, Halevi said, "It still feels like a dream, like, you know, someone pinch me. Because ever since I was a kid growing up, you know, in a foreign country, I've been watching the show in the '90s with my mom. And I said, 'Oh, Mom. I want to be like her. I want to be a lawyer. And my mom's like, 'No, you just want to be one on TV.'

"And so years later I find myself ... the ADA on this show that I used to watch every day, so I don't know. It's a dream. That's all I can say. I'm learning so much from my co-stars and I'm enjoying every minute and I just can't wait for a lot more of this dream."

Alum of the original series Sam Waterston is returning as his former character, DA Jack McCoy, and another series veteran, Anthony Anderson, is returning as Detective Kevin Bernard along with Jeffrey Donovan.

Camryn Manheim also stars as NYPD Lt. Kate Dixon.

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An Israeli thriller became the fourth globally most-watched series on Netflix this week, only several days after its debut. 

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The Girl from Oslo is a 10-part series that has been watched by millions of users worldwide. It came in after Spanish crime drama Money Heist which ranked third.   

The new hit is among Netflix's Top 10 most-viewed series in 36 countries, including the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. 

Created by Israeli cable television company Hot, the thriller was also a success at home and was the second-most-watched series in 2021. 

The Girl from Oslo is the first cooperation between Hot, Netflix, and Norwegian media company TV2. In Israel, it will be available on Jan. 8. 

It tells the story of Nadav and Noa Salem, two Israelis, and Pia Bakke, from Norway, who are abducted by the Islamic State. 

The Israeli cast includes Amos Taman, Rotem Abuhab, Vered Feldman, Gil Frank, Daniel Litman, Shadi Mar'i (Fauda), Raida Adon, and others. 

The series was created by screenwriters Ronit Weiss-Berkowitz (Israel) and Kyrre Holm Johannessen (Norway) and was co-directed by Uri Barbash (Israel) and Stian Kristiansen (Norway). 

In Hebrew, the series was named Azharat Masa ("Travel advisory") and in Norwegian, Bortført ("Abducted").

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Since its premiere earlier this year, the Korean drama 'Squid Game' has been generating headlines all over the world. The buzz and excitement surrounding the show, however, have proved deadly for the people of North Korea.

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On November 23rd, the American news organization Radio Free Asia reported that North Korean high schoolers were being sentenced to harsh punishments after being discovered watching the TV series secretly.

According to the report, various citizens who smuggled the show across the border on USB drives even sacrificed their lives doing so. The North Korean 109th Joint Command of Staff's inspection further reported that seven high schoolers from Chongjin City, North Hamgyong Province, were also found illegally viewing 'Squid Game.'

"The residents who import labor USB sticks with the Korean drama were shot to death and the student who purchased the USB was sentenced to life in prison while the other students who watched with him were sentenced to five years of labor reformation," a source reportedly declared.

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What's in a name? Well, for Ji-Young, the newest muppet resident of "Sesame Street," her name is a sign she was meant to live there.

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"So, in Korean traditionally, the two syllables each mean something different and Ji means, like, smart or wise. And Young means, like, brave or courageous and strong," Ji-Young explained during a recent interview. "But we were looking it up and guess what? Ji also means sesame."

At only 7 years old, Ji-Young is making history as the first Asian American muppet in the "Sesame Street" canon. She is Korean American and has two passions: rocking out on her electric guitar and skateboarding. The children's TV program, which first aired 52 years ago this month, gave The Associated Press a first look at its adorable new occupant.

Ji-Young will formally be introduced in "See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special." Simu Liu, Padma Lakshmi, and Naomi Osaka are among the celebrities appearing in the special, which will drop Thanksgiving Day on HBO Max, "Sesame Street" social media platforms, and on local PBS stations.

Some of Ji-Young's personality comes from her puppeteer. Kathleen Kim, 41 and Korean American, got into puppetry in her 30s. In 2014, she was accepted into a "Sesame Street" workshop. That evolved into a mentorship and becoming part of the team the following year. Being a puppeteer on a show Kim watched growing up was a dream come true. But helping shape an original muppet is a whole other feat.

"I feel like I have a lot of weight that maybe I'm putting on myself to teach these lessons and to be this representative that I did not have as a kid," Kim said. But fellow puppeteer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph – who performs Abby Cadabby – reminded her, "It's not about us... It's about this message."

Ji-Young's existence is the culmination of a lot of discussions after the events of 2020 – George Floyd's death and anti-Asian hate incidents. Like a lot of companies, "Sesame Street" reflected on how it could "meet the moment," Kay Wilson Stallings, executive vice-president of Creative and Production for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind "Sesame Street," said.

Sesame Workshop established two task forces – one to look at its content and another to look at its own diversity. What developed was Coming Together, a multi-year initiative addressing how to talk to children about race, ethnicity, and culture.

One result was 8-year-old Tamir. While not the show's first black muppet, he was one of the first used to talk about subjects like racism.

"When we knew we were going to be doing this work that was going to focus on the Asian and Pacific Islanders experience, we of course knew we needed to create an Asian muppet as well," Stallings said.

These newer muppets – their personalities and their looks – were remarkably constructed in a matter of months. The process normally takes at least a couple of years. There are outside experts and a cross-section of employees known as the "culture trust" who weigh in on every aspect of a new muppet, Stallings said.

For Kim, it was crucial that Ji-Young not be "generically pan-Asian."

"Because that's something that all Asian Americans have experienced. They kind of want to lump us into this monolithic 'Asian,'" Kim said. "So it was very important that she was specifically Korean American, not just like, generically Korean, but she was born here."

One thing Ji-Young will help teach children is how to be a good "upstander." "Sesame Street" first used the term on its "The Power of We" TV special last year, which featured Tamir.

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Netflix launched a "Palestinian Stories" film collection on its streaming service Wednesday. Subscribers will find 32 one-sided films that incite against IDF soldiers and the state of Israel and ignore Palestinian terrorism, with additional films added later on.

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The films offer a one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and include scenes depicting interrogation by Israeli security officials and life in a refugee camp.

In its announcement, Netflix quoted Palestinian director May Odeh, whose film "The Crossing" appears in the category, as saying: "I'm glad to finally have alternative Palestinian films accessible to wide audiences through Netflix. We all in the Palestinian film industry have been eager to share our narrative with the world through our authentic creative productions as an alternative to news reporting. I can't thank the team at Netflix and Front Row enough for the effort to make this happen."

Matan Peleg, the director of right-wing watchdog group Im Tirzu, suggested, "If Netflix wants to tell the Palestinian story, it should start by contacting the thousands of bereaved families who were impacted as a result of the murderous Palestinian terrorism. Netflix is following in the path of Ben & Jerry's [which announced plans to stop selling ice cream in Judea and Samaria] in a pathetic and shallow attempt to brainwash hundreds of millions of people. The result will be exactly the same as that of Ben & Jerry's – huge financial losses."

He continued: "Netflix isn't launching a category for the atrocities in Syria, where nearly one million people died over the last 10 years, or about the crimes in China. Israel is the only great criminal. We intend to call on the Israeli public and the Israel-supporting public around the world to boycott the company. We will not turn the other cheek. Those who hurt us will get hurt," he said.

Peleg offered the company the following advice: "Instead of creating vapid reality content alongside progressive content, maybe Netflix should try to present what is really happening in the Middle East. For shame!"

In a statement, the streaming service responded to the criticism by saying, "Netflix believes in artistic freedom and continuously invests in authentic stories from around the world. The collection of Palestinian stories will showcase the depth and variety of the Palestinian experience and explore people's lives, dreams, families, friendships, and love.

"Since its launch, Netflix has invested in dozens of Israeli TV shows and films and recently issued an official statement on Twitter and Instagram delineating its opposition to antisemitism in all its forms, including the worrying increase in hate crimes and Holocaust denial," Netflix said.

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A fully autonomous Blue Origin rocketship lifted off on Wednesday from a launch site in rural West Texas on a planned suborbital flight that made "Star Trek" actor William Shatner the oldest person ever in space.

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Shatner, at age 90, became the oldest person ever in space during a flight that lasted about 11 minutes. Blue Origin said the four astronauts experienced about three to four minutes of weightlessness and travel above the internationally recognized boundary of space known as the Karman Line, about 62 miles (100 km) above Earth. The crew capsule returned to the Texas desert under parachutes.

Winds were light and skies were clear for the launch, which was conducted after two delays totaling roughly 45 minutes.

Joining Shatner – who embodied the promise of space travel in the classic 1960s TV series "Star Trek" and seven subsequent films – in the all-civilian crew were former NASA engineer Chris Boshuizen, clinical research entrepreneur Glen de Vries and Blue Origin vice president and engineer Audrey Powers.

It marked the second space tourism flight for Blue Origin, billionaire US businessman Jeff Bezos's company founded two decades ago.

Shatner, who turned 90 in March, has been acting since the 1950s and remains busy with entertainment projects and fan conventions. He is best known for starring as Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise on the classic 1960s TV series "Star Trek" and seven subsequent films about fictional adventures in outer space.

Shatner said there is both irony and symmetry to his space trip, having played a space explorer for decades and now actually becoming one.

"Having played the role of Captain Kirk... assigns me the knowledge that a futuristic astronaut would have, but I've always been consumed with curiosity," said Shatner in a Blue Origin video.

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Julia Haart, who left the Haredi lifestyle for one of glamour and high fashion and is now featured in the Netflix series My Unorthodox Life, is the it-woman of the moment, but there are plenty of critics who disapprove of how she portrays ultra-Orthodox Jewish life.

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Allison Josephs, the founder of the group Jew in the City, whose goal is to break down stigmas about Judaism in general and Haredi society in particular, recently expressed her anger at Haart in an interview to TMZ.

Josephs argued that the story presented in the Netflix series is not Haart's true-life story, but rather an adaptation. Josephs also said that Haart made generalizations about Haredi society, casting it as fundamentalist and extremist – all at a time when antisemitic crimes were hitting a new peak.

According to Josephs, Haart's characterization of her former society is "destructive and dangerous." Josephs claimed that while she believed that Haart had indeed undergone experiences that had left her in pain, what is portrayed in the series "My Unorthodox Life" is "not what she experienced" as a member of a Hassidic community.

"It's not authentic," Josephs told TMZ.

Haart, 50, was born in Russia and moved to the US with her family when she was three. The family eventually relocated to Monsey, New York, home to a large Haredi community. She married at age 19 and had four children, but always felt suffocated. She later said in interviews that she even considered suicide.

At age 42, Haart decided to leave the Haredi way of life. She went on to launch a luxury shoe line, despite having no formal training in design. A few years later, she had worked her way up to creative director of the Italian luxury lingerie and swimwear brand La Perla.

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