Credit: Warner Bros.An actor very close to Lord Voldemort’s heart was asked if he would join the upcoming Harry Potter reboot.
As it’s only been a few weeks since Warner Bros. made the shocking announcement, there’s no telling who might appear in the upcoming Harry Potter reboot on HBO. A rumor suggests that Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger have already been recast, but it was later reported that a casting call is underway. Meanwhile, we’re all having fun imagining who might play the many iconic Wizarding World characters.
Some fans are also calling for Hermione to be portrayed by a Black actor, though, as was the case in the West End production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016). We wonder who might end up playing Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort, though?
It’s hard to imagine anyone following Ralph Fiennes’ otherworldly performance as the dark wizard, but in a recent interview with ComicBook, the actor’s brother, Joseph Fiennes, was asked if he would want to appear in the reboot (it’s not up to them, though, of course).
Related: Daniel Radcliffe Is Harry Potter No More, as JK Rowling Has Final Say on New Actor
Whether or not the Shakespeare in Love (1999) actor was asked if he’d fill his brothers’ boots is unclear, but while being interviewed for his new film The Mother (2023), the question of appearing in the television series was put to him.
“You know I’m trying to find that piece of makeup and that eye thing again,” Fiennes said, “Maybe I need that for an audition. I don’t know. I just heard that recently and it’s great. It feels like it was only yesterday. I don’t know why we have to reinvent everything. But, I guess this is what happens.”
Related: First ‘Harry Potter’, Now Another Massive Franchise Gets HBO Max Series
Fiennes’ comments echoes the sentiment of many Harry Potter fans, who have been left confused by news of a reboot that comes just over a year after the latest Wizarding World installment Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) was released in theaters.
But we suspect therein lies the problem. While the original Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) was a critical and financial hit, its follow-up Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) was a disaster, and the third film didn’t do much better.
Related: ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot Could Be Wizarding World’s Answer to ‘The Flash’!
While an incredibly lazy move (as is usually the case with reboots), this is probably why Warner Bros. has hit the reset button on the Harry Potter franchise.
Fiennes then talked about the Harry Potter books, of which the upcoming television series will be a “faithful adaptation”, with each of the confirmed seven seasons based on one of Harry Potter’s years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Related: ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Star Confirms Series Is Dead In the Water, as New Prequel Takes Its Place
“The structure of television now [is] so brilliant and sophisticated,” he said, “and the map is just wide open. It allows that material to be re-examined and take the viewers in a different direction or open up pockets that they wouldn’t have imagined they would have the time to see in a cinema. So I think, actually, television’s really exciting in that way.”
Recently, Wizarding World creator JK Rowling said, via Twitter account The Rowling Library, that the Harry Potter television series “will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series”.
Check out the tweet below:
“Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series.”
J.K. Rowling on the new Harry Potter TV series that will adapt the seven novels: pic.twitter.com/zjclkn4MiY
— The Rowling Library (@rowlinglibrary) April 12, 2023
Related: WB Reveals the Next Major ‘Harry Potter’ Installment, and It’s Not the HBO Reboot
It has long been a complaint of many fans that the Harry Potter films — as widely beloved as they are — leave out many elements from the books. This, it seems, will be Warner Bros.’ hook to draw in audiences curious to see their favorite books imagined in their entirety.
Many other fans, however, aren’t having any of it. Whether it’s because the divisive JK Rowling will serve as executive producer, or because the idea of rebooting Harry Potter so soon is quite “riddikulus”, or all of the above, you can expect another round of boycotting similar to that which preceded the release of open-world game Hogwarts Legacy (2023).
Related: “They Deserve to Die!” OG ‘Harry Potter’ Cast Reacts to Franchise Being Rebooted
In fact, Rowling herself is gearing up for the backlash, having recently admitted on Twitter that she’s ordered “a large stock of champagne” in preparation for the online discourse.
As for Joseph Fiennes, who knows — he may very well end up showing up in the Harry Potter reboot. And if he does, it makes perfect sense for him to play Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort. Talk about standing in the shadow of your brother, though.
Related: A Ninth ‘Harry Potter’ Film Alongside HBO Reboot Could Mean Wizarding World Multiverse
There’s currently no release date for the Harry Potter reboot, but you can check out the first teaser from HBO Max below:
Do you agree with Joseph Fiennes? Would you like to see him play Voldemort? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!