The upcoming Harry Potter reboot series is already littered with controversy, with some questioning the point of the show while others lament the involvement of divisive figure J.K. Rowling. Well, it seems that the creatives behind the series aren’t worried about such controversies, with the latest rumor claiming that the HBO Max Harry Potter show is open to gender-swapping the story’s most iconic villain.
According to noted scooper Daniel Richtman, aka @DanielRPK, the Harry Potter series is now auditioning for the role of Voldemort, the evil wizard who once sought to rule over both the magical and muggle worlds with an iron fist, with production looking at “both men and women” for the part.
“They’re auditioning both men and women for Voldemort so it’s possible we could see a female Voldemort in the Harry Potter series!”
Several casting decisions for the Harry Potter reboot have already been met with a divided response, with Paapa Essiedu’s casting as Severus Snape sadly resulting in the kind of gross vitriol that we all expect from the internet these days. However, potentially casting a woman as Voldemort is sure to much of the fanbase up in arms, with the reactions so far ranging from “Oh great Voldemortina” to “This is going ensure the demise of the show. I hope they don’t do this.”
Others have pointed out the potential irony in the traditionally male character Voldemort being played by a woman considering Rowling’s stance on transgender issues, with some wondering how this might affect the story and the relationship between Voldemort and Harry. One fan, though, has suggested possibly the perfect actor to take over from Ralph Fiennes should this rumor turn out to be true; “I mean Voldemort might not necessarily be genderbent, as in the character could still be presented as male but could be played by an androgynous woman…a voice modulated Tilda Swinton (with red eyes and a gaunt, sinewy snake like form) would be terrifying.”
“Remember When They Said This Thing Was Gonna Be a Faithful Adaptation of the Books?”
But the biggest issue taken by fans seems to be about accuracy, and how the Harry Potter series was initially sold as a more accurate adaptation of the novels compared to the movie franchise. “Remember when they said this thing was gonna be a faithful adaptation of the books, more so than the movies?” said one user and fan on X/Twitter, with another adding, “Respectfully how is Tom Riddle anywhere close to a gender neutral name smh already ignoring the source material.”
Finally, this reaction best reflects the concerns now being felt among some of the fanbase, with the change to Voldemort potentially changing other details of the character and story; “His damn name is literally Tom Marvolo Riddle. The entire “I Am Lord Voldemort” anagram comes from that. And wasn’t the entire point of doing a series of as to make them MORE accurate to the books? This is so going to fail.”
Produced by HBO Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television, Brontë Film & TV, and Heyday Films, the Harry Potter series stars newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, respectively. The rest of the cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. The first series is expected to debut on HBO Max in 2027.
- Showrunner
-
Francisca Gardiner
- Directors
-
Mark Mylod
- Writers
-
Francesca Gardiner
