Harry Potter star Ralph Fiennes may have just spoiled Voldemort's new actor for the HBO series. HBO is already well into production on the first chapter of its decade-long, seven-season Harry Potter adaptation that will begin with The Sorcerer's Stone in 2027. From the Boy Who Lived to the legendary Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, most of Harry Potter's major roles have already been filled. With each new book will come new faces, such as Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Gilderoy Lockhart, but one major void lies in the dark cloak of the series' big bad, Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort.
During a recent interview shared on Instagram, the original Voldemort actor in the Harry Potter movie franchise, Ralph Fiennes, was asked who could fill his boots for the HBO series, replying, "Well, I'm told they're already filled, aren't they?"
The actor went on to praise one popular fan cast and hotly-rumored replacement, Cillian Murphy, seemingly indicating that, as far as he was aware, the Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer star had already landed the role:
"Well, I'm told they're already filled, aren't they? I've already said I think Cillian Murphy is very good. A very, very good choice. I think they've cast it, haven't they? I don't know, I thought they had."
Fiennes previously endorsed Murphy to carry on the legacy of Harry Potter's big bad, telling Bravo's Watch What Happens Live (via Variety) that the Oppenheimer Oscar winner is a "fantastic actor:"
"Cillian is a fantastic actor. That’s a wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favor of Cillian. Yeah."
It seems that admiration is very much mutual for Murphy, who was asked about the Harry Potter casting rumors by Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. The Irish actor wished "good luck to whoever is going to fill those shoes," seemingly taking himself out of the running:
"No, my kids show me it occasionally, but no, I don’t know anything about that. I mean, also, it’s just really hard to follow anything Ralph Fiennes does. The man is an absolute acting legend. So, good luck to whoever is going to fill those shoes."
Technically speaking, Voldemort doesn't truly appear in person until Harry Potter's fourth book, The Goblet of Fire. Rumors spread that HBO may have chosen its Fiennes replacement early, in time for Season 1, after set leaks revealed new flashback scenes that weren't in the Harry Potter movies being filmed.
It should be noted that Fiennes may well, like much of the internet, have been tricked by online gossip and unverified claims that Murphy had landed the coveted role, and is not speaking on any insider Hollywood info.
It's Time to Lower Expectations for Harry Potter's New Voldemort Casting
Those fans hoping for the likes of Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy to become Harry Potter's new Voldemort should temper their expectations for the reboot casting. HBO had mainly steered clear of Hollywood's A-list so far and is unlikely to veer in that direction with Murphy, cashing out the big bucks to secure one of the most in-demand actors working today for a potential seven-season commitment.
In fact, it would be surprising if HBO were eager to cast an actor for Voldemort for a mere cameo who won't truly be needed until The Goblet of Fire. Unless the series adds a sizable amount of the Wizarding World's Dark Lord into the earlier seasons, this casting news may, sadly, still be years down the line.
Find out the six Dark Wizards who will be appearing in Harry Potter Season 1.
One interesting and, in some viewers' eyes, concerning update from scooper Daniel Richtman stated that HBO is "auditioning both men and women for Voldemort," indicating that a Dark Lord or Dark Lady may be on the table.
Many other names have been thrown around for Voldemort, including Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, and Jamie Campbell Bower. While most fall into the same category of unlikelihood as Murphy, the latter, Stranger Things' Vecna actor, could be a more realistic and simultaneously perfect choice to fill Ralph Fiennes' shoes as another prosthetic-heavy villain.
