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More names have been added to the cast list of HBO‘s upcoming “Harry Potter” series, including the actor playing who is bound to be the chief antagonist of the show’s first season. Luke Thallon has been cast in the role of Professor Quirinus Quirrell. Fans will remember that Quirrell was the villain of the first book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
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Along with Thallon, Paul Whitehouse was named as being cast in the recurring role of Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. HBO also officially confirmed the castings of regular cast members that had already leaked: John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
Rupert Grint (L) Emma Watson (M) and Daniel Radcliffe (R) on the set of the film “Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban,” London, England, 2003. Rupert Grint (L) Emma Watson (M) and Daniel Radcliffe (R) on the set of the film “Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban,” London, England, 2003. Murray Close/Getty Images
The announcement of Thallon’s casting sheds an interesting light on some other casting rumors. One of the biggest names rumored to be in contention for a role in the “Harry Potter” series is Cillian Murphy. Speculations placed him as a contender either for the part of Voldemort or of the Season 1 villain, Quirinus Quirrell. With another actor named in the role of Quirrell the question of who will play the new Voldemort remains, as well as the question of whether or not the rumors about Murphy have any truth to them.
Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group, was asked point blank by Deadline about the Cillian Murphy rumors. Dungey had the interesting response of, “I have no comment, no comment, no comment.”
Whoever does sign up to play Voldemort won’t be making a small commitment. As John Lithgow said in response to his casting in the “Harry Potter” reboot, “I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid. But I’m very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That’s why it’s been such a hard decision. I’ll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I’ve said yes.”
Along with Voldemort, we’re still waiting to hear about who will be playing the three iconic heroes of the “Harry Potter” reboot: Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
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