Iconic Hollywood star tipped to play villainous Voldemort in HBO's much-anticipated Harry Potter series - after the actors playing Harry, Hermione and Ron were revealed
Film-lovers were sent into a frenzy earlier this week as the trio of child actors set to appear as Harry, Ron and Hermione were at last revealed after months of waiting.
Directors of the much-anticipated series trawled through more than 32,000 audition tapes before deciding on the lucky three - Dominic Laughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
The announcement came after other members of the cast were revealed months earlier, with Paapa Essiedu in-line to play Severus Snape and John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Now, with the cast edging closer to completion, Potter lovers are waiting patiently to find out who will play the remaining characters - including Voldemort, the franchise's dark wizard.
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Ralph Fiennes was cast as the villain in the original eight Potter movies and played the dark lord sublimely.
This time around however, a household name in the film industry is the bookies' favourite for the role.
Leading early predictions is none other than British actor Tom Hiddleston, according to industry experts at OLBG (Online Betting Guide).
The 44-year-old is currently placed at 1/1 in the guide's odds, ahead of Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy (6/4) in second and Paul Bettany (3/1) in third.
While former Voldemort Ralph (5/1) sits in fourth just in front of Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch (6/1).
However a return for any actor who featured in the original films seems increasingly unlikely given not a single one has yet been announced.
While stars such as Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Dame Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman passed away since they starred in Potter, a very public feud between JK Rowling, 59, and the movie's three main stars made certain they would not be returning.
Film-lovers' hopes of seeing Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint back at Hogwarts were all but crushed after the trio spoke out against the author over her views on trans rights in 2020.
Rowling had stated her belief that women are defined by their biological sex and not their gender identity.
The author later insisted she would never forgive the Harry Potter stars, with Rowling again taking aim at them just last month.
Replying to a tweet asking: 'What actor/ actress instantly ruins a movie for you?', she wrote: 'Three guesses. Sorry, but that was irresistible.'
But while cast members of the films have publicly criticised the books' author, HBO have backed JK saying she has a 'right to express her personal views'.
Earlier this week, the multi-millionaire author took to X to express her delight at the casting of her new Harry Potter (Dominic Laughlin), Hermione Granger (Arabella Stanton) and Ron Weasley (Alastair Stout).
Responding to a fan on X asking how she felt about the appointments, she penned: 'All three wonderful. I couldn't be happier.'
The three new leads are expected to start filming this summer after being chosen from more than 32,000 audition tapes from across the UK and Ireland.
The new adaptation will be spread across seven seasons, equal to the number of books - although there were eight films with the final Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows split into two parts.
The HBO TV show is said to be costing £75million per episode - and the three child actors taking the lead roles have been tipped to land themselves even bigger fortunes than the original stars.
Producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod praised the 'wonderful' talent of the three newcomers, when making Tuesday's casting announcement.
They said: 'After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
'The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen.
'We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.'
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