Paul Bettany has dismissed rumours that he will play Lord Voldemort in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter television reboot. The 54-year-old actor told ScreenRant at the Saturn Awards that he had not been approached for the role, despite fan speculation.
“I haven’t heard anything about that,” Bettany said. “I mean I’m a big fan of the [intellectual property], and I’m a big fan of HBO, but nobody has called me up about it.” The denial follows Cillian Murphy's earlier rejection of similar rumours.
Voldemort, originally played by Ralph Fiennes, is a key role yet to be cast, as the character will not appear prominently until later seasons. Tilda Swinton has also been linked to the part but has not commented.
The seven-season series, adapting each of J.K. Rowling's books, is set to begin in 2027. Child actors Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton will play Harry, Ron and Hermione. Adult cast includes John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape and Nick Frost as Hagrid. Warwick Davis reprises his role as Flitwick.
Some cast members have faced criticism due to Rowling's anti-trans views. Lithgow defended his involvement, saying Rowling is “not really involved in this production at all” despite being an executive producer.
