New Harry Potter series: Voldemort rumor clearly denied
The speculation was sparked by former Voldemort Ralph Fiennes
The rumors persisted, but now Cillian Murphy has made it unequivocally clear: he will not be playing Lord Voldemort in HBO's new "Harry Potter" TV series. He rejected the speculation in no uncertain terms in an interview with British newspaper The Times:
"I'm categorically not. Can you make that the headline?"
Last year, the "Oppenheimer" star addressed similar speculation on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, explaining that there was no truth to it. Especially since it would be very difficult to follow in the footsteps of Ralph Fiennes, who previously played Voldemort. He wished the person who ultimately gets the role the best of luck.
Rumors by ex-Voldemort Ralph Fiennes
Nevertheless, it was Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" film series, who reignited the rumors in January of this year. On the red carpet for his film "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple", he was asked who he thought should be the new Voldemort. Fiennes named Cillian Murphy as an excellent choice and hinted that the decision had already been made. He then backtracked somewhat uncertainly, but this only fueled the speculation once again.
After Murphy's renewed denial, however, we must now finally say goodbye to the idea that he will be seen in the role of Voldemort.
Harry Potter series with new cast
The new "Harry Potter" TV series will be another adaptation of the hugely successful fantasy novel series by British author J.K. Rowling. A total of seven seasons are planned, with each season corresponding to one of the seven books. The first season of the "Harry Potter" series is set to premiere on HBO in 2027 and will comprise a total of eight episodes. Like the books and film adaptations, the TV series tells the coming-of-age story of the title character Harry Potter, who is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a young boy and trained to become a wizard over the course of several years. He also meets his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger at Hogwarts. Together, they must face not only numerous magical challenges, but also an ancient, powerful enemy whose return is apparently only a matter of time: Lord Voldemort.
While the casting of Voldemort is still open, the actors playing the three protagonists have already been confirmed. Dominic McLaughlin will play the title character Harry Potter. His two comrades Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger will be played by Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton. Other main cast members include John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall.
The creators of the new series
Francesca Gardiner is the showrunner. In addition to director Mark Mylod, she will also serve as executive producer. The two have already worked together on the highly acclaimed HBO series "Succession." Other executive producers include David Heyman, who previously produced the "Harry Potter" films, which were hugely successful financially. The franchise became one of the most successful film series of all time. The eight films grossed over $7.7 billion worldwide.
J.K. Rowling is also involved in the new "Harry Potter" series as an executive producer. The author of the novels became a globally celebrated writer with her "Harry Potter" books. In recent years, however, she has been increasingly accused of repeatedly making derogatory comments about transgender people. Among other things, this led critics to call for a boycott of the new "Harry Potter" adaptation in light of Rowling's involvement in the HBO series.
