A female Lord Voldemort may be on the table for HBO’s Harry Potter series.
Rumors of a female Voldemort first surfaced last year via industry scooper Daniel Richtman (reported by SFFGazette.com), who claimed the series was “auditioning both men and women for Voldemort.” Unsurprisingly, that detail alone was enough to spark widespread debate among fans, with reactions ranging from curiosity to backlash.
Now, the conversation has picked up again following comments from Ralph Fiennes, who portrayed the Dark Lord in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). During an appearance on The Claudia Winkleman Show (via the BBC), Fiennes said actress Tilda Swinton would be “fantastic” as Voldemort.
Swinton, who famously played the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), is one of several names that has surfaced in fan discussions. Cynthia Erivo (Wicked, Wicked: For Good) has also been repeatedly linked to the role, though no casting for the character has been confirmed by HBO or Warner Bros.
Related: Introducing Tom Riddle: Fans Discover ‘Harry Potter' Reboot's Young Voldemort : Disney Fanatic
However, if HBO does take that route, there’s no shortage of options. Eva Green (Casino Royale), Ruth Negga (Ad Astra), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox), Cate Blanchett (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge!), and Jessica Chastain (Interstellar) are all strong contenders based on their screen presence alone.
For now, HBO has pushed back on speculation about casting the character. Speaking to Collider, chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said, “No, we have not,” when asked if Voldemort had been cast, adding, “I would take everything you read with a grain of salt.”
The character was notably absent from the series' first trailer, which debuted last month, despite revealing key cast members including John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore), Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall), and the central trio — Dominic McLaughlin (Harry Potter), Alastair Stout (Ron Weasley), and Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger).
With that said, it's hardly surprising given the fact Voldemort doesn't appear in his full form in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Instead, he appears only as a face on the back of Dark Arts teacher Quirinus Quirrell's head due to his weakened state.
The trailer did, however, receive backlash over the casting of Black actor Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, a role played by Alan Rickman in all eight films (2001–2011). Essiedu recently told The Times he has received racist abuse online, with reports suggesting HBO has increased on-set security as a result. If Essiedu's new Snape is anything to go by, Voldemort's casting will likely rock the wizarding world fanbase to its core in a similar way.
HBO’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premieres Christmas 2026.
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