Lord of the Rings Legend Wants to Play Voldemort in HBO's Harry Potter Reboot — The Perfect Casting We Didn’t See Coming

HBO is moving fast on its new Harry Potter series, and most of the big roles are reportedly spoken for. One massive exception: the guy without a nose. Lord Voldemort is still up for grabs, which makes sense since he does not fully step into the story (in resurrected form, anyway) until Goblet of Fire. That said, flashbacks are always on the table, so the casting could drop at any time.

Andy Serkis just threw his wand in the ring (sort of)

On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, host Josh Horowitz pitched Andy Serkis as the perfect Voldemort. Serkis did not exactly campaign, but he did not shy away either.

"Definitely. I mean, yeah. I am just waiting for the call. Basically, that is a cool one. Mind you, Ralph's got big boots to follow, you know."

He would not say how he would audition, then cracked that he would chop off his nose for the role. Commitment to the bit: intact.

Would Serkis actually work as the Dark Lord?

Short answer: absolutely. Serkis has a weirdly perfect resume for this. He did the twitchy obsession thing as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. He carried an entire creature performance as King Kong. And he swung big and messy (and funny) as Ulysses Klaue in Black Panther. Voldemort would still be a different flavor for him — colder and more overtly menacing than anything he has done on screen — but the physicality and precision the part needs are squarely in his wheelhouse.

The rumor roundup (and what is actually real)

• Tilda Swinton: Floated by fans; Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort himself from the films) said he could get behind that idea in a past interview. It was conversation, not confirmation.
• Cillian Murphy: Popped up in the online churn; he flat-out denied it when asked.
• Paul Bettany: Also rumored with no real traction so far.
• Andy Serkis: Not a formal rumor — Horowitz suggested it on the podcast and Serkis played along. No deal in motion (that anyone is admitting).

For now, HBO has not tipped its hand on who is actually in contention. And denials are not always the final word in this business — NDAs and basic job survival mean people often have to play coy. But as of this moment, none of the above is official.

So when do we meet Voldemort?

Because the resurrected version of the character does not appear until Goblet of Fire, the show has some breathing room. If the writers lean into flashbacks (young Tom Riddle, anyone?), they could introduce the character sooner — which is why the casting watch is worth keeping an eye on.

Bottom line

No announcement yet, only speculation — but Serkis as Voldemort is the rare idea that actually makes sense. If HBO wants a presence that can slither from quiet menace to all-out terror, he is right there, waiting for the call. Until then, it is all debate and daydreams.