HBO's Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu for Severus Snape. The monumental task of finding the Golden Trio and their peers is still a work in progress, with no official announcements yet.

The recasting of Lord Voldemort seems like it would be one of the swifter ones to happen, as the show is obviously following in the footsteps of the movies, offering the adult roles to a roster of veritable A-listers. Yet HBO is looking for actors who will be a part of their adaptation of Harry Potter for years, meaning everyone should be chosen carefully, with the long-term commitment factor a major consideration. In the case of Voldemort, this will actually be a different scenario than it ever was for Ralph Fiennes.

The Harry Potter Remake Is Seemingly Close To A Voldemort Casting

WB Executive Suggests They Are Focusing On Casting Voldemort Next

Speaking to Channing Dungey offered some Harry Potter casting updates, specifically mentioning where they are at for Voldemort: "You're [Deadline] missing [Voldemort] in your deck, because we are still weighing a couple of different options there, so we're not quite ready there yet. That's an important role to get right." From the sound of things, they have reached a point in the casting process where they have narrowed it down to a few options. Notably, no other casting rumors have surfaced until it is centered around a single person in consideration for the role.

Given the typical nature of casting such characters for Harry Potter, HBO and Warner Bros. probably invited a few different acclaimed actors to read for the part, and are now assessing everyone's strengths. It is also possible that they want the actor to do some readings with someone else, and if they want to see what their Voldemort looks like with their Harry, the casting for the former could also be stalled as they figure out who their child actor headliners will be. However, more than likely, they will go ahead with picking a Voldemort first, and we will hear news about this soon.

Voldemort's Harry Potter Remake Casting Plan Is Very Different To The Movies

There Will Probably Be Fewer Actors Playing Voldemort This Time Around

The Harry Potter movies pulled off an impressive feat of consistency, with most of the cast staying on for all eight installments, even the then-child stars who grew into the franchise that got far bigger than anyone could have imagined. It might be surprising that the first movie didn't really invest in cementing Voldemort from the start — but it also appears that they didn't really know how long anyone would be around for at that point. Voldemort's Sorcerer's Stone actor is practically forgotten; however, in the first movie, he was portrayed by a combination of stunt double Richard Bremmer and Professor Quirrell's actor Ian Hart.

After Harry sees Voldemort's face in person in the first outing, it should be haunting to see that same face come back, now much more threatening.

A total of six actors played Voldemort across the movies, with a few of them playing him as a child and teenager. The show will probably do this much again, but otherwise, they do seem to be setting out to have their Voldemort from the beginning. While this might mean this actor doesn't have much work for seasons 1 through 3, it will potentially have a more powerful effect when Voldemort finally returns for real. After Harry sees Voldemort's face in person in the first outing, it should be haunting to see that same face come back, now much more threatening.

Who Will Play Lord Voldemort In The Harry Potter TV Remake?

Cillian Murphy Is Still A Favorite — & WB Didn't Say No

Academy Award-winner Cillian Murphy has been one of the most talked-about choices for Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter show — so much so that it was brought up in the Deadline interview. When Dungey was asked if Murphy could be playing Voldemort, the response was: "I have no comment, no comment, no comment." This could definitely be an attempt to cover up the fans being spot on when it comes to their fancasting, yet Murphy is still hardly the only option. Ralph Fiennes, only 62 years old, could actually return if he wanted to.

However, it's probably in the show's best interest to set itself apart from the movies as much as possible. Bill Skarsgård, Christian Bale, and Hugo Weaving have all been suggested (via Reddit), all stellar actors who have their fair share of experience playing violent, creepy villains, yet would still be challenged to flex those acting muscles in a different way as Voldemort. And all are exciting possibilities — the new take on Harry Potter certainly has an uphill battle ahead of it when it comes to living up to the movies' legendary cast, but talent like this at least stands a chance.

Source: Deadline, Reddit