Weekly Round-Up: Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Miracle Workers’ Trailer, First Look at Dame Maggie Smith in ‘Downton Abbey’ Movie, & More!

Dec 22, 2018

Posted by: Kim McChesney

Alfonso Cuaron, Bonham Carter, Davis, Directors, Fantastic Beasts Round-Up, Film Images, Films, Harry Potter Round-Up, Movies, Radcliffe, Round-Up, Smith, Television Programmes, Thompson, Trailers

Leaky celebrated a few milestones of our own this week, as PotterCast – Leaky’s official podcast, hosted by Melissa, John and Frak – saw the release of four brand new House-themed logos, and a swanky new website! We also covered Arnaud Brisebois on visual effects wizardry in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and the excellent news that composer James Howard Newton’s work on the Crimes score had made the Oscars shortlist.  Delving deeper into the second instalment in the franchise, we pondered the fate of Credence, as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child announced a new cast for the show’s second year on Broadway.

Topping off a busy week, our Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts actors round-up covers Daniel Radcliffe helping God save the world in a new trailer for Miracle Workers, new previews of Maggie Smith in the upcoming Downton Abbey Movie and Helena Bonham Carter in The Crown, Emma Thompson as Agent O in the first trailer for Men in Black International, Warwick Davis to host the main stage at Star Wars Celebration and more!

Daniel Radcliffe is Saving the World in the New Extended Trailer for Miracle Workers

No matter the part, Harry Potter fans are clamoring to see Daniel Radcliffe on TV in a regular role and the upcoming comedy Miracle Workers delivers just that. An extended trailer for the seven-episode series was released this week and gave us a good look at Radcliffe as the low-level angel Craig who works in Heaven’s Department of Human Prayers opposite Steve Buscemi’s God. Deadline describes the show further,

“His boss, God, pretty much has checked out and is ready to move on to his next project, with the knowledge that “Earth is in big trouble — it’s a mess.” The Almighty’s plan is simply to blow up the planet and move on. To stave of global annihilation, Craig and fellow angel Eliza (Geraldine Viswanathan) must answer a seemingly impossible prayer: help two humans fall in love.

Take a peek at Radcliffe’s attempt to save the world in the trailer below. We can’t wait to watch beginning February 12 on TBS Tuesdays at 10:30pm ET.

A First Official Look  at Maggie Smith in the Downton Abbey Movie

On the heels of a teaser trailer for the anxiously awaited big screen adaptation of the beloved British period drama Downton Abbey, EW has revealed a first official look of Dame Maggie Smith, Harry Potter’s Professor McGonagall, as matriarch Violet Crawley Dowager Countess of Grantham as well as an update on where the Crawley family are since the end of the series. They had this to say about about Smith’s character,

“Two characters’ fates remain concerning – trusty butler Carson (Jim Carter), who was forced into retirement due to contracting “the palsy” at series end, and Violet, the Dowager Countess, who actor Maggie Smith often remarked was getting too far up there in age to even appear in a film. But both characters appear to be alive and well in these exclusive images.”

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Director Michael Engler said this about the new look at the Countess,

“She feels very much the same in this. She represents the oldest of the old guard,”[…]“She has a beautiful line in the film where she says to Mary, ‘One must have standards, but one must not be inflexible.’ That’s what she’s always stood for.”

No official glimpse yet of Imelda Staunton, Harry Potter’s Dolores Umbridge, who joined the cast earlier this year, but we’ll keep you posted. The Downton Abbey Movie, which interestingly takes place in 1927 the same year as Crimes of Grindelwald, opens September 20, 2019.

Emma Thompson Brings Back Agent O in the First Trailer for MIB International

Emma Thompson, Hogwarts Divination Professor Sybill Trelawney, will be reprising her Men in Black 3 role in the upcoming spinoff of the sci-fi action comedy Men in Black International which takes place in MIB London headquarters as opposed to the MIB Universe version of New York from the original films. Thompson will again play Agent O, who was revealed to be running the show behind big guns Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, who won’t appear in this new installment. Take a look at the stunning Thompson who joins Chris Hemsworth, Liam Neeson, Tessa Thompson, and Rafe Spall in the trailer below.  Men In Black International hits theaters next June.

Helena Bonham Carter, Toby Jones and Jason Isaacs Voice The Dark Crystal

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Voicing characters for the upcoming Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a Potter reunion for the ages! Jason Isaacs, Lucius Malfoy, Helena Bonham Carter who played his sister-un-lawful, Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange, and Toby Jones who voiced her Deathly Hallows Part 1 victim Dobby the House Elf, are all voicing recurring roles in the sci-fi, fantasy series based on 1982 adventure film The Dark Crystal from creator of the Muppets, Jim Henson. Here is a synopsis of the plot according to Netflix,

“The world of Thra is dying. The Crystal of Truth is at the heart of Thra, a source of untold power. But it is damaged, corrupted by the evil Skeksis, and a sickness spreads across the land. When three Gelfling uncover the horrific truth behind the power of the Skeksis, an adventure unfolds as the fires of rebellion are lit and an epic battle for the planet begins.”

It looks like a couple of other Wizarding World alumni will be joining those three, and all but little Dobby seem to hail from the dark side. Ralph Ineson who played Death Eater and hated interim Head of House Amycus Carrow in the last three Harry Potter films and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson who played Skender the oppressive owner of the Circus Arcanus in Crimes of Grindelwald also to appear to have periodic roles in the series. We wish Toby Jones the best of luck working with this crew-poor Dobby!

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EW also released a new look at Bonham Carter in her upcoming role as Princess Margaret in the Netflix period drama The Crown. Season 3 of The Crown, which covers the period of 1964-1976, is likely to air on Netflix sometime in 2019.

Warwick Davis to Host Star Wars Celebration 2019

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Duel fandom star Warwick Davis, who is known in the Potterverse as Professor Filius Flitwick and Griphook the Goblin, is set to host the main stage at the annual Star Wars Celebration in Chicago next year. Davis, who’s appeared as several other characters in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story in addition to his first role in the iconic sci-fi franchise as the Ewok Wicket in Return of the Jedi, last hosted the Celebration in 2017 in Orlando but has been a staple of the event since its inception in 1999.

Samantha Morton’s Alpha Descends on The Walking Dead

It appears like there’s a little bit of type casting hinted at in this week’s round-up! The actress who played Credence Barebone’s abusive wizard-hating adoptive mother Mary Lou Barebone is back on the small screen as a new breed of antagonist. Samantha Morton has joined Fantastic Beasts Dan Fogler and the rest of The Walking Dead cast as Alpha, the leader of the savagely violent Whisperers, a group of zombie apocalypse survivors who carve up Walkers and wear their skin. Take a look below to see if you recognize No-Maj Mary Lou. We didn’t, but guessed that’s probably what Credence saw when she came at him with the belt. The Walking Dead returns to AMC for the second half of season 9 on Sunday, February 10.

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Roma to Hit Theaters and Alfonso Cuarón Shares Script

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The praise for Alfonso Cuarón, director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and his semi-autobiographical film Roma just keep rolling in. Fans and critics alike are calling this awards season darling one of the best films of the year. It’s gotten a nod from all of the major awards in numerous categories. Oscar nominations have yet to be announced, but there’s no doubt Roma will be on the list. According to Variety earlier this week, Roma, which is a Netflix property, will be screened in seven cities in the US and Canada including Toronto, Austin, Chicago, Hartford, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. Cuarón has also made his script for the film, available to read in its entirety. English and Spanish versions can be found online via Deadline.

That’s all the news from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts actors this week! Wishing you the happiest of holidays from all of us at Leaky and stay tuned for our end of the year wrap up!





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.