HBO ‘Harry Potter’ Series’ Most Controversial Casting Revealed (It Isn’t Snape): Rumor
Lord Voldemort (AKA Tom Riddle), the dark wizard who has terrorized the wizarding world for decades, may be about to get a surprising new twist in HBO’s Harry Potter series.
According to entertainment industry insider Daniel Richtman (via SFFGazette.com), Voldemort may be portrayed by a female actor in the upcoming reboot.
“For the Harry Potter show, they’re auditioning both men and women for Voldemort, so it’s possible we could see a female Voldemort in the series.”
This report follows several casting announcements, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Among the younger newcomers, Alastair Stout, Arabella Stanton, and Dominic McLaughlin will play Ron, Hermione, and Harry.
Fans have reacted positively to most of the casting, praising the actors’ physical resemblance to their characters.
Set photos and official images show some of the performers in full costumes that align with the descriptions from J.K. Rowling’s books.
However, Paapa Essiedu’s casting as Snape has sparked fierce debate online, with many unhappy about the decision to cast a Black actor as a character depicted as White in both the books and in the film series, in which Snape was portrayed by the late Alan Rickman.
Related: Multiple ‘Harry Potter’ Characters Recast for All Seven Installments | Disney Dining
Whether there’s any truth to the Voldemort casting rumor, however, for now the actor’s identity remains a mystery.
High-profile stars such as Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki) were rumored to be considered, though Murphy recently clarified his position, telling the Happy Sad Confused podcast, “Good luck to whoever is going to fill those shoes.”
We’ll just have to wait and see if Voldemort is played by a female actor. If it turns out to be true, it would certainly shake up the wizarding world far more than Essiedu’s casting.
The new Harry Potter series will arrive on HBO and HBO Max in 2027.
Would you like to see a female Lord Voldemort? Let us know what you think in the comments down below!
