In 2023, Max announced a 10-year commitment to adapt J.K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter books as a TV show, promising to usher in "a new generation of fandom" with the rebooted series. In the time since the announcement, numerous members of the original Harry Potter movie cast have voiced their opinions on the reboot — from Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) to Bonnie Wright (Ginny) — mostly offering positive words and encouragement.
The latest to weigh in on the reboot is none other than Lord Voldemort himself, Ralph Fiennes! While at the Golden Globe Awards after being nominated for Best Performance by a Male Actor for his role in Conclave, Fiennes was naturally asked for his thoughts on the new Harry Potter series. "I’m not surprised," he admitted, per PEOPLE. "It was a while ago those films were made."
Fiennes doesn't say whether he's for or against the reboot; he merely understands that enough time has passed for the story to be told anew. That said, in previous interviews, Fiennes has shown some enthusiasm over the idea that his role of the evil Lord Voldemort could be played by the "fantastic" Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy. "That’s a wonderful suggestion," he said on Watch What Happens Live. "I would be all in favor of Cillian, yeah."
No casting news has been officially announced for Max's Harry Potter series yet. That said, a few names are being floated around, including Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You, Gangs of London), who has been tapped as a top candidate to play Severus Snape. Mark Rylance is said to be in the running to play Dumbledore and Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein up for the part of Hagrid. To date, the casting team has already had to watch audition tapes from upwards of 30,000 children hoping to play the core roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. These casting directors have one hugely daunting job on their hands.
The Harry Potter show is slated to begin filming later this year. No release date has been set, but sometime in 2026 or early 2027 seems likely. It'll air on HBO and Max.
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