Paul Bettany is rumored to be in the mix to play the role of “Harry Potter” villain Lord Voldemort — but the “WandaVision” star says he hasn’t been offered the part just yet.
“I haven’t heard anything about that,” Bettany told ScreenRant when asked about the casting rumor. “I mean, I’m a big fan of the IP and I’m a big fan of HBO, but nobody has called me up about it.”
Cillian Murphy and Tilda Swinton have also been linked to the part, which is one of the largest roles yet to be cast, although Voldemart doesn’t make much of an appearance until later in the book series. Ralph Fiennes played the part of the Dark Wizard in the original film franchise.
The new adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s iconic books is being adapted for a seven-season run on HBO, with filming already in full swing in the U.K.
Taking over the roles of Harry, Hermione and Ron are relative unknowns Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout, who step into the shoes previously filled by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in the film adaptations of the books. Lox Pratt replaces Tom Felton as Harry’s schoolyard nemesis Draco Malfoy.
The new adaptation will also see John Lithgow play Dumbledore while Paapa Essiedu is confirmed as Professor Snape, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall and Nick Frost as Hagrid
Last week the casting of some of Harry’s fellow Hogwarts students was confirmed, including the Gryffindor Quidditch team, which will star Orson Matthews as Oliver Wood, Ethan Smith as Lee Jordan, Asha Soetan as Angelina Johnson, Eire Farrell as Katie Bell and Serrana Su-Ling Bliss as Alicia Spinnet.
The series, which is set to launch in 2027 on HBO Max (if it still exists as a standalone platform), has already been described as the “streaming event of the decade” by Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming boss JB Perrette.
