‘Harry Potter’ director Chris Columbus shared his thoughts on the TV adaptation and the casting of Voldemort in an interview with People. Columbus directed the 2001 film ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and the 2002 film ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.’
When asked about the inclusion of ‘Oppenheimer’ star Cillian Murphy as Lord Voldemort in the fancast on numerous occasions, Columbus replied, “Well, Cillian is one of my favorite actors, so that would be amazing.”
Ralph Fiennes, who played Voldemort in the ‘Harry Potter’ films, agreed that “Cillian is a fantastic actor,” On a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live, he said, “I actually think that’s a wonderful, wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favor of Cillian.”
“I look forward to seeing what they’re trying to do with it,” Columbus said of the new TV adaptation, which was first announced in 2021. “I think it’s great.”
Original cast members Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint are not expected to return to the series. Last November, HBO and Max CEO Casey Bloys said that the series hadn’t ‘felt any impact’ from Rowling’s involvement, which he characterized as “fairly involved — she was very involved in the process of selecting the writer and the director.”
A casting call for the ‘Harry Potter’ series seeking U.K. and Ireland-based children between the ages of 9 and 11 was put out in September to find the next Harry, Ron, and Hermione. In June, the series found its executive producer and director (of some episodes) in ‘Succession’s Mark Mylod and its showrunner and lead writer in Francesca Gardiner.
