One of the best OG recasting theories surrounding the upcoming Harry Potter show was starting to become more and more plausible, but a new casting update has finally debunked it. The cogwheels of production for the highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series are rushing as new casting updates are being announced each day. Following some of the latest casting updates for HBO’s Harry Potter, it looks like nearly all major characters from the opening arcs of the original story have been cast.
While it will always be debatable whether the right casting choices have been made for the series, some actors seem to be the perfect fit for their roles in the Harry Potter TV show. Speaking of perfect castings, one original Harry Potter actor‘s return was being widely theorized for the TV show. However, as some of the latest casting updates have confirmed, the theory has now officially been put to rest.
Harry Potter Show’s New Casting Update Debunks The Theory That Tom Felton Would Play Lucius Malfoy
Johnny Flynn Has Been Cast To Play The Character
Soon after the Harry Potter TV show was announced, audiences could not but fan-cast their beloved characters. For obvious reasons, many wanted some of the main original stars from the Harry Potter movies to return to the series. Given how over a decade has passed since the last Harry Potter movie’s release, it would not have made sense for most original actors to reprise their previous roles. However, many still hoped that the movies’ actors would return to the show to play a different character.
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As controversy mounts, an original Harry Potter star is looking to support Tom Felton’s surprising return to his role as the intractable Draco Malfoy.
Among these fan castings, one of the most popular ones revolved around Tom Felton, where many wanted to see him return as Draco Malfoy’s father, Lucius. Since the actor is now nearly 40 years old and has proven with his Harry Potter role that he has what it takes to portray a morally skewed death eater, his fan casting in the series made a lot of sense. After Tom Felton’s return as Draco was confirmed in the Cursed Child Broadway show, his potential return as Lucius in the HBO show seemed even more likely.
Instead of casting the original Harry Potter star, the HBO series has taken Johnny Flynn onboard for the role of Lucius Malfoy.
Even though the casting theory of Felton’s return seemed increasingly plausible, it has now finally been dismissed. Instead of casting the original Harry Potter star, the HBO series has taken Johnny Flynn onboard for the role of Lucius Malfoy. Best known for his parts in movies and shows, like Ripley, The Outfit, and Operation Mincemeat, Johnny Flynn will be Jason Isaacs’ replacement in the upcoming series.
Tom Felton Could Still Appear In HBO’s Harry Potter Remake
He Could Always Take Up Some Other Role
Johnny Flynn seems perfect for the role, but it is still a little disappointing that Tom Felton is not playing his original character’s father in the series. However, even though the Malfoy casting theory has been dismissed, Felton can still show up in the show as some other character. He could still cameo as another minor character or even play one of the most important characters in the series: Voldemort. Although Ralph Fiennes is often associated with the Harry Potter villain because of how brilliantly he portrayed him, many actors captured Voldemort in different movie installments.
In the show, Tom Felton could appear as one of the iterations of the franchise’s overarching antagonist or could even play Tom Riddle in the show’s Chamber of Secrets adaptation. It must be noted, though, that, unlike the films, the show will likely have a more consistent casting choice for Voldemort. A total of six actors played the character throughout the movie series’ runtime. In the show, however, only one actor will likely play the character throughout. Owing to this, Felton’s casting seems unlikely because the show’s creators would likely avoid having an original star in a major role.
Harry Potter’s TV Show Casting A New Actor As Lucius Is Still The Right Move
The Show Needs To Etch Its Own Identity Without Drawing Comparisons To The Movies
Since the original Harry Potter movies did an incredible job of recapturing the magic of J. K. Rowling’s books on the big screens, the show bears the responsibility of doing the same without being too similar to the films. For obvious reasons, the show needs to stay loyal to its source material. At the same time, however, it must find ways to etch its own identity to avoid being compared with the original films. If it casts one of the main actors, like Tom Felton, from the original movies as a primary character, it could risk blurring the line between reboot and continuation.
This, in turn, would prompt audiences to compare the series with the movies, which would likely not end well for the show. By casting original actors in relatively smaller roles or not having them on its roster at all, HBO’s Harry Potter show would significantly distance itself from the films. As a result, it would have a shot at standing on its own legs instead of being perceived as another forced recreation.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
