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

Harry Potter star Ralph Fiennes has addressed whether he would reprise the role of Voldemort in the upcoming streaming series, where the sinister villain is yet to be cast.

Warner Bros-owned streaming platform HBO Max, which only recently launched in the UK, is behind a new adaptation of the Harry Potter saga, which hopes to be an even more thorough and faithful live-action version.

Recently, a slew of images from the new series – including first looks at Paapa Essiedu (Babies, The Capture) as Professor Snape and Nick Frost (Transaction, How to Train Your Dragon) as Hagrid – attracted a huge amount of attention.

But while several iconic roles have been recast, a huge question remains over the role of Harry Potter's terrifying arch-nemesis, Lord Voldemort, who Fiennes portrayed in five of the eight original films.

Appearing on The Claudia Winkleman Show last night, the Conclave star discussed whether he'd return to the role – and suggested that his position on the matter had changed.

Fiennes recalled that "some years ago" he'd told press that he would "love to" step back into the Wizarding World, but "nothing's happened" in the time since and he now feels "that ship has sailed".

The actor then shifted attention away from him and onto one of the rumoured names up for the coveted gig.

He said: "Tilda Swinton was mentioned somewhere as being a contender, and I think she would be amazing,"

Having previously worked together on a trio of acclaimed auteur films – Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, Luca Guadagnino's A Bigger Splash, and the Coen Brothers' Hail, Caesar! – it's safe to say that Swinton has his blessing.

However, her involvement remains firmly in the realm of rumour and speculation at this stage, with HBO boss Casey Bloys claiming as recently as last month that the role of Voldemort is still yet to be cast in the new series (via Variety).

Peaky Blinders icon Cillian Murphy, who recently earned an Academy Award for his work in Oppenheimer, had also been frequently suggested for the part, but proceeded to tell The Times quite firmly that he was "categorically not" joining the series.

Several members of the Harry Potter cast, past and present, have faced questions over their opinions on the views of JK Rowling.

Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.

Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.

In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.

Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community.

Others, including Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.

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

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