Harry Potter Reboot’s Voldemort Casting Gets Update From HBO Boss Amid Rumors

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Casey Bloys, the head of HBO, recently shared news about who they’re considering to play Voldemort in the new Harry Potter TV show and addressed the ongoing fan speculation.

Although Voldemort doesn’t fully appear until Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when he gets a physical body, readers first see a glimpse of his face on the back of Professor Quirrell’s head in the very first book. In the movie series, which has earned $7.7 billion worldwide, Richard Bremmer initially played Voldemort in the first film, and then Ralph Fiennes took on the role starting with Goblet of Fire.

HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series has been filling out its cast, but they haven’t announced who will play Voldemort yet. According to HBO’s head of programming, Bloys, they haven’t even cast the actor for the role. He advised fans not to believe any casting rumors circulating online, suggesting they should be viewed with skepticism.

No, that’s not true. Generally, I’d say you shouldn’t believe any rumors. I honestly don’t even know who’s being considered for the roles! I’d suggest taking everything you hear with a grain of salt.

For months, there’s been a lot of guessing about who will play a certain role, with actors like Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany, and Tilda Swinton frequently mentioned. However, some have publicly denied being involved. Cillian Murphy specifically stated he isn’t part of the project, and Paul Bettany confirmed he hasn’t been contacted by anyone at Warner Bros. or HBO about it.

Ralph Fiennes has previously suggested Cillian Murphy would be an excellent Voldemort. It’s currently unclear if HBO will use the same approach as the original films, where one actor initially played the villain in Sorcerer’s Stone before being replaced by Fiennes for the rest of the series.

The Harry Potter movies had to fit each book into just two or three hours. The new TV show remake will have much more time to include scenes that didn’t make it into the films, develop important events more fully, and hint at future happenings.

Besides appearing on the back of Professor Quirrell’s head, Voldemort could also appear in flashbacks, particularly to the night he murdered Harry Potter’s parents, Lily and James, in Godric’s Hollow. Last autumn, filming took place in a set designed to look like Godric’s Hollow, featuring children dressed in Halloween costumes trick-or-treating.

The movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone quickly showed a memory of Voldemort killing Harry’s parents, but pictures from the upcoming TV show suggest that night will be shown in more detail. It’s unclear whether Voldemort himself will appear in these scenes.

Although the actor to play Voldemort hasn’t been announced, filming for the eight-episode first season is underway with Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton taking on the roles of Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger – previously played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. The cast also includes returning and new faces like John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, and Nick Frost.

Francesca Gardiner is the showrunner and is leading the adaptation of the magical story for television. She’s working with executive producers including J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts, Mark Mylod, and David Heyman.

Although the first episode of the Harry Potter series isn’t scheduled to air until Christmas 2026, HBO recently gave fans a sneak peek with a photo of Harry in his Quidditch uniform heading to a game, along with a short teaser trailer.

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2026-03-25 23:38