Lox Pratt is stepping into the role of Draco Malfoy in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series, and Jason Isaacs has already given the new cast member his blessing. The two met and took a picture together at the BAFTA TV Awards, where Isaacs said he and former co-star Tom Felton will enjoy watching Pratt carry on the Malfoy “family” name when the show arrives for HBO Max subscribers this Christmas.

The timing matters because HBO's Harry Potter adaptation is set to land later this year, and the franchise remains one of television's most closely watched projects. Pratt is part of the new ensemble for the series, while Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the original films, is now among the familiar faces offering a public nod to the reboot before it reaches viewers. Fans have already been discussing the new cast as they wait for the series to arrive, with the latest exchange adding a little old-school approval to the rollout.

That approval also carries a small but telling tension: the new show is trying to build its own identity, yet it is still being measured against the original films that made the Malfoy name familiar to millions. Isaacs' comment, and the photo with Pratt at the BAFTA TV Awards, bridges those two worlds without pretending the comparison is going away.

For now, the next marker is simple. Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone hits HBO and HBO Max on Christmas Day, December 25th, and that is when the new cast will move from casting news to the test that matters most: whether viewers accept the next generation carrying the story forward.