HBO’s HARRY POTTER Series Has Reportedly Cast Lord Voldemort, But There’s a Twist
The Harry Potter reboot at HBO has definitly sparked conversation amoung fans with itscasting choices, and the latest report suggests something massive is brewing behind the scenes, something that could completely change the way the first season unfolds.
We recently got our first look at Nick Frost as Hagrid and Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, and the series has lined up an impressive roster that includes John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, and even Game of Thrones alum Anton Lesser as Ollivander.
Production has started on the first season, and fans expect the usual suspects from that first story, but Voldemort? In Season 1? That is reportedly happening.
According to Redanian Intelligence, HBO has already cast Lord Voldemort and is planning to keep the casting completely under wraps until the show airs. Here’s what the report claims:
“Voldemort is already cast and will appear in several episodes, but HBO has no plans of announcing his casting and want to keep him secret until the season airs. Whether or not they’ll succeed, remains to be seen. After all, this will be the most sought-after piece of information about this series.”
If true, this raises some big questions. In The Sorcerer’s Stone, Voldemort only exists as a twisted presence on the back of Quirrell’s head. So why would the Dark Lord appear in multiple episodes? Flashbacks to Godric’s Hollow? A deeper dive into Tom Riddle’s early steps into darkness? Or is HBO planning a reinterpretation of the timeline?
The same report notes the series will run six episodes per season, with Seasons 1 and 2 filming back-to-back. Season 1 reportedly opens on Harry and his fellow first-years crossing the lake to Hogwarts.
As for casting speculation, Cillian Murphy’s name keeps coming up as a fan-favorite pick, though it feels like a stretch. Then again, Ralph Fiennes was already an Oscar nominee before shaving off his nose for the part, so stranger things have happened.
It’s worth noting Fiennes didn’t play Voldemort in the first film. Richard Bremmer handled the spectral face on Quirrell’s head. So if HBO’s Voldemort shows up fully formed this early, that’s a huge deviation.
Could this mean more original material or expanded backstory? Maybe even a slow-burn tease of the larger war to come? Whatever the case, keeping this secret in the age of social media would be nothing short of magic.
Take it with a grain of salt for now, but if this report is right, the biggest villain in the Wizarding World will step out of the shadows sooner than anyone expected.