Paul Bettany is rumored to be in the running to play the Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort, but the WandaVision star has not yet received an offer for the role.
“I haven’t heard anything about that,” Bettany told ScreenRant when asked about casting rumors. “I mean, I’m a huge fan of this IP and I’m a huge fan of HBO, but no one called me about it.”
Cillian Murphy and Tilda Swinton may also be involved in the role, which is one of the biggest roles yet to be cast, but Voldermart won’t appear much until later in the series. Ralph Fiennes played the role of a dark wizard in the original film series.
A new adaptation of JK Rowling’s iconic book will air for seven seasons on HBO, with filming already in full swing in the UK
Taking over the roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron will be relatively unknown actors Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Staunton, and Alastair Stout, filling positions previously held by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint in the film adaptation of the book. Rox Pratt replaces Tom Felton as Harry’s schoolyard nemesis Draco Malfoy.
The new adaptation will star John Lithgow as Dumbledore, alongside Papa Essiedu as Professor Snape, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Hagrid.
Last week, the cast of Harry’s Hogwarts friends, including the Gryffindor Quidditch team, was confirmed, with Orson Matthews as Oliver Wood, Ethan Smith as Lee Jordan, Asha Sotan as Angelina Johnson, Ale Farrell as Katie Bell, and Serana Soo-Lin Bliss as Alicia Spinnet.
The series is scheduled to launch on HBO Max (if it still exists as a standalone platform) in 2027, and has already been described as the “streaming event of the decade” by JB Perrette, head of streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery.
