Ralph Fiennes delivered a terrifying, unforgettable portrayal of Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies, and following in his footsteps will be no easy feat for any actor.
Whereas the 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple star wasn't cast until The Goblet of Fire, HBO's small screen reboot is expected to find its version of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in time for the first season, which adapts J.K. Rowling's first novel, The Philosopher's Stone/The Sorcerer's Stone.
Set photos have suggested Voldemort will appear in flashbacks to the night Harry's parents died. The villain's face will also be placed on the back of Professor Quirrell's head during the final confrontation between the Dark Lord and Boy Wizard.
While every major Harry Potter role has seemingly cast, there's still no word on Voldemort. Despite that, insider Daniel Richtman (via SFFGazette.com) is now reporting, "They've already cast the voice actor for Voldemort in the Harry Potter series."
Voice actor? It seems the idea is to keep the villain's true appearance under wraps for now. While we'll no doubt see a monstrous version of his face when Quirrell removes that turban, the big Voldemort reveal is seemingly being saved for The Goblet of Fire.
This lines up with the books, though it will be interesting to see how Tom Riddle's appearance in The Chamber of Secrets is handled (in terms of whether a younger actor is cast or de-ageing VFX are used). It surely won't be possible for the Voldemort casting to be kept under wraps until the show airs, so here's hoping some official news drops soon.
We also can't discount the possibility that Voldemort will be played by a voice actor for now, freeing up HBO to find the actor they want when it comes to adapting that fourth book.
Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy remains the apparent frontrunner, despite his denying that he's been approached. Fiennes recently seemed to indicate that the actor had been cast as his successor, but was seemingly referring to the online rumours.
Lord Voldemort, born Tom Marvolo Riddle, is a dark wizard obsessed with immortality and pure-blood supremacy; he seeks to dominate the Wizarding World. Orphaned and raised in a Muggle orphanage, Riddle's magical talent led him to Hogwarts, where he excelled but descended into darkness, embracing the persona of Voldemort.
He created Horcruxes, splitting his soul to achieve immortality, and led the Death Eaters in a reign of terror. His attempt to kill infant Harry Potter backfired, destroying his body due to a protective charm. Revived years later, he resumes his quest for power, clashing with Harry, the "Chosen One." Voldemort’s arrogance, fear of death, and inability to understand love are what ultimately lead to his downfall.
Dominic McLaughlin has been cast in the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
Harry Potter is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
HBO's Harry Potter TV series premieres in 2027.