Image Credit: Warner Bros.
The latest game among fans of wizards and all things magical? The “Voldemort Prediction Game.” The first teaser trailer for the new Harry Potter series has, in fact, plunged us back into the Hogwarts atmosphere created by J.K. Rowling in her books. The goal is clear: to revisit the stories already adapted for the screen in the eight films of the 2000s, but giving everything a fresh take, covering scenes from the novels that hadn’t been touched upon before, and above all, with a new cast of actors.
Perhaps what feels most jarring is this: seeing that the young Harry, Ron, and Hermione are no longer played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, but by newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton; and also that iconic characters like Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, and Snape no longer have the faces of Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, and Alan Rickman (who, sadly, have all passed away) but those of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Nick Frost, and Paapa Essiedu. Beyond the sense of alienation, the new cast is also a clear sign of a change of pace.
But there’s one highly anticipated character who didn’t appear in the first teaser clip for this new Harry Potter film—and who will likely remain a secret for quite some time. This is, of course, Voldemort—Tom Orvoloson Riddle, the precocious and brilliant Slytherin student who embraces dark magic until he becomes He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the most fearsome wizard in the Wizarding World, who goes on to kill Harry’s parents and thus becomes forever bound to the young wizard’s fate. As we recall, in the films Warner Bros. produced from 2001 to 2011, Voldemort had the serpentine features of Ralph Fiennes. But who will now take on a role that is sure to leave a lasting mark (and scare the living daylights out of) an entire generation?
Speculation About Who Will Play Voldemort in the HBO TV Series
Apparently, the final decision hasn’t been made yet. Speaking with Variety, HBO chief Casey Bloys clearly stated that casting for this character hasn’t been finalized. Even if it were, there’s still time to make this announcement, and HBO likely wants to play this card at the right moment, generating ever-growing and unavoidable hype. Voldemort actually appears to regain his body only in The Goblet of Fire, so presumably in the fifth season—and thus five years from now—but his transformed face should already be glimpsed at the end of the first trilogy, The Philosopher’s Stone (in the first film, the face of a different actor was used—that of Professor Raptor’s portrayer, Ian Hart—since Fiennes wouldn’t be cast until much later). For now, therefore, only major rumors are circulating: among the most likely candidates in recent months are Paul Bettany (who played Vision in The Avengers) or Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, who has, however, already stated that he considers it too daunting to follow in Fiennes’ footsteps.
There is no shortage of the most varied speculations, however—ones that currently lack much substance but could prove interesting in some way: still within the Marvel universe, given the character’s very sharp, “British” physique, the names of Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston might be floated, but among the possibilities (or hopes) circulating online are also Matt Smith, Dan Stevens, and Adam Driver.
Another widely discussed possibility lately is seeing Tilda Swinton—the quintessential androgynous and ethereal actress—transform into the terrifying Voldemort. And continuing with this gender-swap Voldemort speculation, why not consider options like Cate Blanchett, Eva Green, Rosamund Pike, or Rebecca Ferguson? Obviously, these are much more remote possibilities, but in the world of Polyjuice Potion and Butterbeer, anything can happen.
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