REPORT: ‘Harry Potter’ Series Will Keep Voldemort a Secret for at Least a Year
The platform is ready. The cast is boarding. And the magic, at long last, has officially returned. Production on HBO’s Harry Potter reboot is now underway—two years after the studio first confirmed plans to bring J.K. Rowling’s bestselling books back to the screen.
Fans have waited with both excitement and anxiety. Ever since the reboot was announced in 2023, questions have swirled over casting, creative direction, and how the series might separate itself from the globally beloved film adaptations.
This is the first official image of Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter for the upcoming series on HBO Max ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/IjAGAFWnwz
— Daily Harry Potter (@TheDailyHPotter) July 14, 2025
Now, with cameras finally rolling, those questions are starting to get answers. Several key roles have already been announced, and the first official image of Dominic McLaughlin in character as Harry Potter has been released.
Familiar Faces, New Names
The reboot has rapidly expanded its roster in recent weeks. Dominic McLaughlin will star as the Boy Who Lived, joined by Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. The production has also confirmed John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Newcomers Rory Wilmot and Amos Kitson will take on the roles of Neville Longbottom and Dudley Dursley, respectively, while Katherine Parkinson will play Molly Weasley andJanet McTeer will play Minerva McGonagall. It’s a promising mix of seasoned talent and emerging actors, a formula that echoes the original films’ approach and seems poised to resonate with both new audiences and longtime fans.
The production timeline is ambitious. According to sources cited by Rednian Intelligence, HBO plans to shoot both Season 1 and Season 2 back-to-back. The current schedule spans from now through May 2026, with Season 2 expected to follow after a short hiatus and wrap by May 2027.
Each season will reportedly include six episodes, with each adapting one of the seven books in the Harry Potter series. The first season will follow Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, ending with the students’ dramatic arrival at Hogwarts by boat.
The decision to film multiple seasons consecutively is a calculated move. With child actors in central roles, a compressed timeline helps mitigate concerns over aging between seasons—a lesson learned the hard way by productions like Stranger Things.
J.K. Rowling’s Involvement Remains a Lightning Rod
As the reboot moves forward, it does so under the long shadow of renewed scrutiny over J.K. Rowling’s public image. The author remains an executive producer on the series and is reportedly involved in shaping the show’s narrative direction, though not serving as showrunner or lead writer.
Rowling’s comments on gender identity in recent years have sparked widespread backlash and divided public opinion, including among Harry Potter’s own fanbase and former cast members. Several actors from the original films, including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, have publicly distanced themselves from her views.
HBO has remained relatively quiet about Rowling’s role in day-to-day production, though executives emphasized early on that the series would remain “faithful to the original books.” Whether or not that approach will resonate in today’s cultural landscape remains one of the reboot’s biggest questions.
The Role That Must Not Be Named Will, Funnily Enough, Not Be Named
Still, one name is conspicuously missing from the cast list: Lord Voldemort. Though he is the central antagonist of the franchise, HBO has remained silent about who will play He Who Must Not Be Named.
According to Rednian Intelligence, the decision is deliberate. A source told the outlet that the actor has already been cast, but that the network intends to keep the casting under wraps until the show premieres. The plan is reportedly not to publicly cast the actor, and instead save the reveal for when the show airs.
It’s a bold strategy, especially given the role’s iconic status. Ralph Fiennes famously portrayed Voldemort in the original film series, leaving large shoes—or rather, a billowing black robe—to fill.
The mystery has sparked intense speculation. Rumors have swirled around high-profile actors such as Cillian Murphy, Jamie Campbell Bower, and James McAvoy, the latter of whom previously came close to playing a young Tom Riddle in Chamber of Secrets. Still, HBO remains tight-lipped.
Whether the gamble pays off remains to be seen. Fans won’t meet the new Dark Lord until at least 2027, when the first season is expected to debut on HBO.
Until then, viewers will have to settle for clues—and perhaps a few whispered theories in the shadows of the Forbidden Forest.
Who do you think should play Voldemort?
