HBO‘s series adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels is now in production. With filming underway, new details about the highly anticipated remake have come to light, including whether Voldemort has been cast yet.
Announced in April 2023, Harry Potter is set to be a “faithful adaptation” of Rowling’s novel series, with Francesca Gardiner serving as head writer and showrunner and Mark Mylod attached as its director. Production kicked off earlier this week, with HBO sharing a first look at Dominic McLaughlin as the titular Boy Who Lived.
Redanian Intelligence is now reporting that filming on the first season, which will be based on The Philosopher’s Stone, will last until May 2026. After a short hiatus, the cast and crew will reconvene in July 2026 to start filming the second season, which will adapt Rowling’s second Harry Potter novel, The Chamber of Secrets. Season 2 will also consist of a 10-month shoot.
The report also states that the first two seasons will each consist of six episodes, which is two fewer than initially expected. Further seasons may reportedly see their episode counts expanded to eight, although nothing seems to have been officially finalized yet.
Has Voldemort been cast in HBO’s Harry Potter?
Most of the major players in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (published in the States as the Sorcerer’s Stone) have been cast, except for one: Lord Voldemort. However, Redanian Intelligence is reporting that an actor has been tapped to play the Dark Lord in multiple episodes of Season 1, but that HBO will not announce the casting. Instead, the network wants to keep him secret until the show’s premiere in 2027.
As for the announced cast, joining McLaughlin as a series regular are Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Actors set to appear in a recurring capacity include Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, and Louise Brealey as Madam Hooch, among others.
Harry Potter is slated to premiere on HBO in 2027.
