“He’s back. Voldemort’s back.” Well, not just the Dark Lord. In fact, all of our favourite witches and wizards will be returning to our screens, as HBO’s brand-new original series of Harry Potter has been officially confirmed.
HBO says production will begin next summer, and a casting call is already underway to find three bright young stars aged 9-11 to take on the roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Whilst the race is on to find a fresh-faced trio, the recently revealed casting of John Lithgow as Dumbledore and Paapa Essiedu have already raised plenty of eyebrows.
Now, people are speculating on UK betting apps about which wizard or witch will be revealed next in the new HBO series – and all signs are pointing to Lord Voldemort.
So, which famous face is stepping into Ralph Fiennes’s shoes as the Dark Lord? And who else is heading to a brand-new Hogwarts? Wands at the ready! The latest odds are in…
Harry Potter HBO Original Series: Who will be revealed next in the new cast?
He Who Should (Not) Be Named Next…
It only made sense to start at the top, with Professor Dumbledore being the first character to be confirmed for the HBO adaptation.
The news broke mid-February, in an interview with ScreenRant, where John Lithgow officially confirmed that he has been cast as the new Hogwarts Headmaster.
Next came the confirmation by Deadline that Paapa Essiedu is signing his contract to play Severus Snape in the new series.
Potterheads are now taking to UK betting sites to guess which character will be revealed next. It appears that we’re going in order of importance to the original books, with both Dumbledore and Snape being critical roles in the Harry Potter story. This has led to superfans being convinced that Voldemort will be the next casting to be announced at 1/2.
Harry Potter HBO Original Series: Who will play Lord Voldemort?
From Tommy Shelby to Tom Riddle?
Favourite to play the infamous Dark Lord, Voldemort is Irish actor, Cillian Murphy at 2/5.
Best known for playing no-nonsense gangster Tommy Shelby in The Peaky Blinders, and the central villain, Scarecrow, in the Batman films, it’s easy to see why Murphy has been tipped for the role. The actor has also been making headlines recently following the release of the trailer for the much-awaited zombie sequel, 28 years later.
Rumours have been spiralling on social media that even “Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes is “all in favor” of Cillian Murphy taking over the “Harry Potter” villain in HBO’s upcoming television series.”
Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes is “all in favor” of Cillian Murphy taking over the “Harry Potter” villain in HBO’s upcoming television series.
“Cillian is a fantastic actor. That’s a wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favor of Cillian. Yeah.”
As of now, no casting is… pic.twitter.com/SCIixQuBvX
— Variety (@Variety) December 3, 2024
She Who Must Not Be Named?
Naturally, both confirmed HBO castings have caused a huge stir, with John Lithgow being American – far from the British actors previously playing Dumbledore that we are used to, and more obviously, Paapa being black – according to Forbes, some scenes may now become “obviously optically problematic” because of his skin colour.
So, what does this mean for the rest of the cast? Will we be seeing even more controversial casting with our new Voldemort? Well, according to UK betting apps, there’s a high chance that the Dark Lord – or should we say Lady – could be a woman.
Second favourite to play HBO’s Voldemort is American actress, Demi Moore at 8/15.
The award-winning actress has plenty of credentials under her belt, from the 90s classics like Ghost, Striptease and Indecent Proposal, to her lead role in The Substance (2024) which bagged her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. The actress certainly proved that she’s not afraid to lean into the darker side for this horror flick, and we can certainly see why she’s being tipped to take on the darkest wizard in the Harry Potter universe…
Could it be Rhys Ifans casting the “Avada Kedavra” spell?
Of course, it’s not confirmed that Cillian is sure to bag the role, and another actor is closing in on the role, according to UK betting apps.
Welsh actor, Rhys Ifans is a new favourite at 6/4.
This may well be thanks to his impressive role in the fantasy GOT spin-off, House of the Dragon, where he plays the complex character of Otto Hightower. However, Potterheads will know that Ifans is no stranger to the wizarding world, having already portrayed Luna Lovegood’s father, Xenophillius Lovegood, in the Harry Potter movies. So it depends on what the actor’s stance is on the TV remake…
Best of the rest
Other Voldemort contenders include Christian Bale 13/8, Matt Smith 7/4, Bill Skarsgård 2/1, Tilda Swinton 9/4, Daniel Day-Lewis 3/1 and Benedict Cumberbatch 4/1.
Harry Potter HBO Original Series: Who will play Professor McGonagall?
Maggie’s bestie to take on McGonagall role?
This year, we lost one of Britain’s greatest, Dame Maggie Smith. Naturally, it’ll be a tough decision casting a fitting replacement for her iconic character, Professor McGonagall.
She fought cancer while filming the eighth Harry Potter movies because she didn’t want to disappoint fans 🥹
Winner of 2 Oscars, 3 Golden Globes, 5 BAFTAs, 4 Emmys and 2 SAGs among other awards. Thank you for giving life to Minerva McGonagall 🏆
Goodbye, Maggie Smith 🪦 pic.twitter.com/PoTabdNich
— Daily Harry Potter (@TheDailyHPotter) September 27, 2024
One name on everyone’s lips is British actor, Dame Judi Dench at 5/6.
It’s widely known that the two Dames were close friends – ever since they met in the 1950s at the Old Vic in London! So perhaps it’s only right that Maggie’s legacy is continued on by a good pal?
Helen Mirren to lift her wand?
Another solid contender for the McGonagall part is Helen Mirren at 6/4. The actor needs no introduction, after a career spanning 60 years and being the recipient of numerous Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, Emmy’s and Golden Globes.
HP Fans may also recognise her as the host of the televised Harry Potter quiz show Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses, which was broadcast back in 2021. Perhaps this was clever foreshadowing at what’s to come?
The best of the rest
Also said to be in the Minerva mix are Olivia Coleman 13/8, Emma Thompson 7/4, Rachel Weisz 2/1, Sharon Horgan 3/1, Fiona Shaw 4/1 and Hollywood actor, Meryl Streep 5/1.
Harry Potter HBO Original Series: Who will play Hagrid?
You’re a wizard, John…
It wouldn’t be a Harry Potter lineup without dear Hagrid. But who is believed to reprise the late Robbie Coltrane’s beloved role?
The new actor will of course have big boots to fill – and that’s not just because he’s a half-giant. Playing Rubeus Hagrid requires having a warm, friendly personality and a gentle voice. One man who certainly ticks those boxes is American actor, John Goodman.
You may recognise the actor as the voice of everyone’s favourite blue monster, Sully from Monsters, Inc., as well as gentle Pacha from The Emperor’s New Groove. Goodman is an early favourite, pipped at 4/7.
Keeping the peace to Gamekeeper
Also rumoured to be in talks of Hagrid’s role is actor, Nick Frost at 7/4.
No stranger to putting on a warm, “country” accent, as Frost did in the police comedy-action film Hot Fuzz, this would certainly put him in good stead for bagging the Hagrid role. The star has also been known to pull off a bushy beard, not that it matters…
The best of the rest
The game is still wide open as to who will land the legendary role of Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. Other names on bookies’ lists include Rory McCann 2/1, Brendan Fraser 5/2, and Ciarán Hinds at 3/1.
Only time will tell which muggles will be taking on the roles of some of Britain’s most beloved magical characters. One thing’s for sure: they have big boots (and cloaks) to fill…
Production for the Harry Potter HBO Original Series will begin in Summer 2025. It is not yet revealed who will play any of the parts.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
