Harry Potter TV show plagued by ‘bullying problem with actors fighting on set as bosses are forced to step in and insist any “bad eggs’ will be AXED no matter how famous they are’

The upcoming Harry Potter TV show has been hit with ‘alarming’ accusations of bullying and claims two 12-year-old extras were spotted fighting on set. 

Bosses at Warner Brothers have reportedly been forced to step in and issue warnings to both adults and children, as well as the threats of being booted from the show no matter how famous the culprit may be.

The upcoming TV adaptation will star several well-known faces including John Lithgow, who will play Professor Albus Dumbledore, and Nick Frost, who is stepping into Rubeus Hagrid’s very large shoes. 

The new adaptation will also provide a new springboard for young acting talent, as the original Warner Brothers films did, and Harry Potter himself will be played by Scottish actor Dominic McLaughlin, 11. 

There is no suggestion any of these actors are involved in the alleged behaviour.

A source said: ‘There are a lot of youngsters on set at any one time, and the reality is that not everyone is going to get on. It’s an alarming problem and bosses want to get rid of any bad eggs among the cast and crew.

‘Bosses have issued warnings about behaviour. The bullying accusations have involved adults and children. It has been made clear that anyone reported for bullying will be immediately axed, no matter how famous they may be. 

The insider added to The Sun: ‘Filming is going to last eight years and bosses are adamant that any inappropriate behaviour must be nipped in the bud. The reports of bullying have been treated incredibly seriously.’ 

Daily Mail have contacted Warner Brothers for comment. 

The show has been described as the ‘steaming event of the decade’ – despite the ongoing controversy surrounding JK Rowling’s comments about transgender people.

With an expected release date of 2027, JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming & games at Warner Brothers reiterated his excitement at an event in London on Monday.   

He said: ‘[Harry Potter is] the biggest streaming event in the history of HBO Max and arguably in streaming, period. It’s number one, two and three in many ways.

‘We can’t wait for this global streaming event.’ 

HBO’s Harry Potter will be split into seven seasons, which will bring to life the seven parts of the boy wizard’s story – originally told in JK Rowling‘s bestselling children’s novels. She will serve as executive producer on the new series. 

New parts of Harry Potter’s story will be dramatised for the first time thanks to the longer length of the TV show compared to the existing films. It aims to be ‘authentic to the original books’. 

Bosses at Warner Brothers have been forced to step in and issue warnings to both adults and children (nick frost pictured as Rubeus Hagrid)

HBO’s CEO went on to emphasise the production company’s commitment to quality and said that its upcoming creations are some of the best it has ever produced. 

He said: ‘Nothing says quality like those three letters. We’re a complementary and distinct service to the more volume-driven or basic cable-like streamers in the market. 

‘More is not better. Better is better. And our content slate over the next 24 months is the strongest and most targeted for our audiences in our history.’ 

The franchise has been plagued with controversy due to creator JK’s resounding opposition to transgender rights, which first came to light in 2019, after which she was branded a TERF [trans exclusionary radical feminist]. 

While Aud, who stars alongside John and Olivia Colman in 2025 movie Jimpa, conceded that the actor is ‘a beautiful human’, they branded his casting ‘disconcerting, difficult and hurtful’.

Their comments come in the wake of John speaking out about criticism over his role, saying: ‘It upsets me when people are vehemently opposed to me having anything to do with this. But in Potter canon you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity.’

Aud plays Olivia’s character Hannah’s non-binary child Frances, while John plays Hannah’s father Jim, known as Jimpa, who they visit in Amsterdam. The film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in January 2025. 

In the wake of the announcement of his casting, John revealed that a friend with a trans child sent him a link to an article entitled: ‘An open letter to John Lithgow: Please walk away from Harry Potter’ – something he admitted made him feel ‘uncomfortable‘.