HBO's 'Harry Potter' Update: Major Changes to Expect in TV Adaptation, Including Possible Way to Introduce Voldemort

The upcoming remake of 'Harry Potter' will be slightly different from what fans saw in the best-selling movie and novel series.

It was initially thought that the TV version of the iconic fantasy series would have the same treatment as the movies, with similar costume design and iconography. But when the cameras started rolling, new changes and unforeseen discrepancies came out.

Some of the recent changes include adding characters from the books that were not included in the film, including Professor Binns, Peeves the Poltergeist, and Ronan.

The new adaptation will also introduce new characters that were not mentioned in the books, including Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle.

Set photos also teased new locations for the upcoming HBO series. Based on the posts of Wizarding World Direct on X/Twitter, Harry's childhood home in Godric's Hollow during Halloween will appear in the remake.

The Significance of Godric's Hollow in the Series

Fans of the novels would recognise Godric's Hollow even if it was not featured in the movies. In Rowling's books, Harry and his friend Hermione Granger went to Godric's Hollow to chase Horcruxes.

ComicBook claimed that there are several reasons why the first season of Harry Potter on HBO went back to Godric's Hollow, the place where Harry's parents died in their home.

First, viewers will see how Hagrid retrieved baby Harry from their home after Lord Voldemort attacked his parents before eventually vanishing. It might lead to the possible scene where Hagrid took baby Harry to Privet Drive so Professor Albus Dumbledore could deliver him to his Aunt Petunia and live with the Dursleys.

The location might also feature more flashbacks to the night when the Dark Lord killed Lily and James Potter. It could give a better establishment of Voldemort's presence in the story.

Latest Casting News

Fans of the series are eagerly waiting for more information about the actors who will join the cast of HBO's Harry Potter adaptation.

According to Collider, the latest casting addition is French actor Lambert Wilson, known for his role in 'The Matrix Reloaded'.

The 67-year-old actor was spotted wearing long white hair and a matching beard. He will reportedly play the role of alchemist Nicolas Flamel, the creator of the Philosopher's Stone.

Portraying the role of his wife is Marthe Keller, a critically acclaimed Swedish actress.

Previous reports revealed that Wilson and Keller shot a scene together with John Lithgow, the actor who portrays the role of Dumbledore.

Who Will Play Voldemort?

Ralph Fiennes did a great job in portraying the role of the Dark Lord in the Harry Potter movie series. But no word yet regarding his counterpart in the TV version.

Recent reports claimed that HBO is keen on casting Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton to play the female version of Voldemort on TV.

Other casting rumours claimed that 'Oppenheimer' star Cillian Murphy is also one of the streaming platform's choices to play the part, but his camp already denied the possibility of being in the upcoming show.

While waiting for the actor/actress to portray 'He Who Must Not Be Named,' the rest of the cast of HBO's Harry Potter includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.

Janet MacTeer will play the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall, previously played by the late Maggie Smith. Paapa Essiedu will take over Alan Rickman's role as Severus Snape, and John Lithgow will fill the shoes left by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore.