The Harry Potter television series is poised to commence production shortly, with an anticipated release on HBO in 2026. Director Chris Columbus, who directed the initial two films in the Harry Potter franchise, expressed his enthusiasm for the adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s literary works. He also commented on the speculation surrounding actor Cillian Murphy potentially being cast as Lord Voldemort.

In an interview with People, Columbus remarked that having Murphy portray the iconic villain would be “amazing,” stating, “Cillian is one of my favourite actors, so that would be amazing.”

Notably, Ralph Fiennes, who portrayed Voldemort in the original films, also endorsed Murphy for the role during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live. He commented, “Cillian is a fantastic actor … I would be all in favour of Cillian.”

Additionally, Chris Columbus expressed that the Harry Potter television series presents a “spectacular” opportunity to remain faithful to the source material, given the extended runtime afforded by a series format.

“I think it’s a spectacular idea, because there’s a certain restriction when you’re making a film. Our film was two hours and 40 minutes, and the second one was almost as long (referring to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). The fact that they have the leisure of [multiple] episodes for each book, I think that’s fantastic. You can include all the elements in the series that we were unable to incorporate into the films … all these great scenes that we just couldn’t fit in. I look forward to seeing what they’re trying to do with it. I think it’s great.”

The upcoming Harry Potter series, produced by HBO, is expected to be more comprehensive and “in-depth” than the films, according to Channing Dungey, head of Warner Bros. Television. Francesca Gardiner has been appointed as the writer and showrunner, while director Mark Mylod will oversee multiple episodes. The duo previously won an Emmy for their work on HBO’s acclaimed series, Succession.