Harry Potter legend addresses possible return in upcoming HBO reboot amid recast rumours

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Ralph Fiennes, known for playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter films, has talked about whether he’d be willing to return for the new streaming series. A new actor is currently being sought to play the iconic villain.

HBO Max, the streaming service from Warner Bros. that recently became available in the UK, is creating a new TV series based on the Harry Potter books. This adaptation aims to be a more detailed and accurate live-action version of the story.

New photos from the upcoming series have generated a lot of excitement, especially first glimpses of Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape and Nick Frost as Hagrid.

Look, we’ve seen a lot of beloved characters get new faces lately, but I’m really wondering who will take on Lord Voldemort. Ralph Fiennes absolutely owned that role in five of the original Harry Potter films, and filling his shoes is going to be a massive challenge. It’s a huge question mark hanging over the project, honestly.

I was watching The Claudia Winkleman Show last night, and the actor from Conclave was on it. He talked about coming back to play the character again, and it sounds like he’s started to think differently about it – he’s now open to the idea, which is a surprise!

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Fiennes mentioned he once expressed interest in returning to the Harry Potter universe to the media, saying he’d ‘love to.’ However, no opportunities have come up, and he now believes it’s too late for him to reprise his role.

The actor quickly changed the subject, turning the conversation to one of the people reportedly being considered for the highly sought-after role.

He noted that Tilda Swinton had been suggested as a possible choice, and he believes she would be fantastic in the role.

Tilda Swinton has clearly earned the trust of some of cinema’s most respected directors. She’s collaborated with them successfully on critically praised films like Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash, and the Coen Brothers’ Hail, Caesar!, suggesting they fully support her work.

Currently, reports about her potential involvement are just rumors. HBO’s Casey Bloys recently stated (according to Variety) that they haven’t yet cast the role of Voldemort for the upcoming series.

Cillian Murphy, the acclaimed actor known for Peaky Blinders and his recent Oscar win for Oppenheimer, quickly shut down rumors that he would be joining the series, telling The Times he was definitely not involved.

Actors who have been in the Harry Potter films, both currently and in the past, have been asked about their thoughts on J.K. Rowling’s views.

J.K. Rowling has received criticism for her opinions on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a detailed essay explaining her views on sex and gender, but LGBTQ+ organizations like Stonewall strongly disagreed with and challenged her arguments.

J.K. Rowling has expressed her opinions on social media, most recently in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter). In that post, she stated that she does not believe in the concept of transgender children and argued against the idea that someone’s gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

In May 2025, J.K. Rowling created the JK Rowling Women’s Fund to provide financial support for legal battles aimed at protecting women’s rights as defined by biological sex.

As a movie critic, I’ve been following the ongoing conversation surrounding J.K. Rowling, and it’s clear that the core cast of the Harry Potter films – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, to name a few – have made it known they don’t share her views. They’ve all publicly voiced their support for the transgender community, which is something I really respect. It’s a brave move, and shows they’re willing to stand up for what they believe in, even when it means disagreeing with the creator of the world that made them famous.

Several actors, like Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, and Jim Broadbent, have come to the author’s defense amid recent criticism.

Harry Potter (the series) is coming soon to HBO Max. Stream the originals now.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about TV dramas and comedies for TopMob, focusing on the newest and most popular shows on television and streaming platforms. Before TopMob, he worked at Starburst Magazine and hosted The Winter King Podcast for ITVX. He also has a degree in Journalism from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-04-11 15:05