Latest news with #RalphFiennes
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Conclave author reveals Ralph Fiennes was third choice for lead role in Oscar nominated film - behind two other A-list Hollywood actors
His acclaimed performance as a liberal cardinal in Conclave secured him an Oscar nomination – but Ralph Fiennes was not the first choice for the part. Both Hollywood legend Robert de Niro and Spanish star Javier Bardem were in line to take the lead role, author Robert Harris has revealed. But negotiations with both actors' representative broke down, opening the way for 62-year-old Fiennes. His casting also meant a change to his character. In Harris's original 2016 novel, the dean of the council of cardinals was an Italian called Jacopo Baldassare Lomeli. But once Fiennes was cast, he became the English Cardinal Thomas Lawrence. The author told the Hay-on-Wye literary festival: 'For a long time, Robert De Niro was supposed to play the Fiennes role, but that fell through, and then Javier Bardem was supposed to do it.' But again a deal could not be struck, so producers turned to Fiennes, best known for playing evil Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter blockbusters and M in the Bond films. It was Fiennes and director Edward Berger who decided to change the character's nationality, Harris revealed. 'They came to lunch and told me they wanted to change the nationality of Cardinal Lomeli, because Ralph wanted to play an Englishman. I looked across the table and thought, ''Do I really want to lose Ralph Fiennes?'' And of course, it doesn't make any difference at all.' Harris – whose other bestselling novels include Fatherland and Enigma – also told the Hay audience that film producers had been circling around his novel before he had finished writing it. But after the initial clamour, the executives decided to hold back the film's release – which turned out to be fortuitous as it ended up in cinemas just before the real Vatican conclave to select Pope Francis's successor. Harris, 68, said: 'They sat on it for a year to prevent it being swamped by other films, which was a stroke of genius as it got a lot of attention. There was this rolling interest in conclaves, and I found myself peculiarly having written a primer on conclaves.' Among those who watched the film this year was American Cardinal Robert Prevost, who saw it just before the conclave voted him to become Pope, subsequently taking the name Leo XIV. Conclave, which also starred Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini, was nominated for eight Academy Awards, but secured only the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for Peter Straughan's script. Two Oscar voters later told trade magazine Variety that they hadn't backed Fiennes as they wrongly believed he had won the award before.
CNET
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
This Ultimate Y2K Sci-Fi Movie Made Virtual Reality Seem Almost Too Real
I've wanted to rewatch the sci-fi thriller Strange Days for a long time, but I kept forgetting because, honestly, I couldn't remember the title. I finally came across it on Hulu and checked it out, and I can't stop thinking about it. Though Strange Days was released back in 1995, it looks and feels like it could've come out yesterday. It's one of those rare old movies that imagined the technology of virtual reality, or VR, without turning it into a gimmick. Strange Days takes place in 1999 Los Angeles during the last 48 hours of the millennium. Lenny Nero, played by Ralph Fiennes, is a former cop who now peddles an illegal virtual reality experience called Playback. Nero's friend and bodyguard, Mace (Angela Basset), tries to keep him rooted in reality and away from trouble. Together, they work to track down a brutal rapist and murderer -- a man who uses VR Playback discs to record his crimes from his own point of view. The movie wasted no time dropping me into its jarring setting: The opening scene is an armed robbery filmed in first-person perspective, with the robber running from cops and jumping from one rooftop to another. A couple of scenes later, I saw tanks on the streets of LA and heard radio callers declaring that the world would end at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2000. Strange Days reminds me of the best Black Mirror episodes -- both deeply disturbing and uncomfortably close to home. Director Kathryn Bigelow was influenced by the 1992 LA riots and incorporated those elements of racial tension and police violence into her work. The result is a movie that's sometimes difficult to watch but impossible to look away from. At the same time, Strange Days is grounded by emotion. Nero (Fiennes) spends a good portion of the movie reliving memories of his failed relationship with the singer Faith (played by actress-turned-rocker Juliette Lewis). Lying in bed while he plays back footage of happier days, he can trick himself into believing he's roller skating with Faith again -- until the disc stops spinning and he opens his eyes, back in the lonely present day. "This is not 'like TV only better,'" says Nero, as he introduces the VR Playback tech to one of his clients. "This is life." But Bassett's character, Mace, believes otherwise, at one point confronting Nero over his attachment to his "used emotions." "This is your life!" says Mace. "Right here! Right now! It's real time, you hear me? Real time, time to get real, not Playback!" As I watched Strange Days in 2025, I couldn't help thinking of the virtual reality devices that exist today. VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3 and Google's upcoming AR glasses are bringing us closer than ever to the Playback tech in the film. And the immersive spatial videos for the Apple Vision Pro can make you feel like you're really reliving a three-dimensional recorded memory. As I considered the similarities between our current tech and Strange Days' Playback discs, I wondered if the future wants to be haunted by the past. Despite being 30 years old, Strange Days' special effects hold up incredibly well. Where other 1995 sci-fi flicks like Hackers and Johnny Mnemonic experimented with early computer-generated imagery, Strange Days went for a more practical approach: Characters shift in and out of the Playback footage with a simple analog distortion effect, just like you'd find while watching home videos on VHS tapes. The point-of-view shots were carefully choreographed, and the resulting footage looks like you're viewing it through the recorder's eyes. Strange Days also features standout musical acts. Juliette Lewis, in character as Faith, belts out two PJ Harvey tracks in on-screen performances that recall the best of '90s grunge. Rapper Jeriko One (played by Glenn Plummer) delivers biting social commentary in his music video. And contemporary artists Aphex Twin, Deee-Lite and Skunk Anansie perform during the movie's bombastic final act, a New Year's Eve rave in downtown LA. (It was a real-life concert with 10,000 attendees.) Strange Days is both a thrilling action movie and a mind-bending exploration of technology and memory. I'm surprised it was a box-office flop in 1995, and I wish it had received the recognition it deserved then. Still, I'm glad this sci-fi masterpiece is available to stream today. Though Strange Days isn't the easiest title to remember, the movie itself is unforgettable.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Malta's Mediterrane Film Festival to Feature ‘The Return,' ‘Compulsion,' ‘Hot Milk'
The Mediterrane Film Festival in Malta is returning for its third edition with more than 40 films from over 20 countries. Running from June 21-29 in the island's capital, Valletta, the festival has set programming for its Competition, Out of Competition and Mare Nostrum sections. Competition films will include Uberto Pasolini's 'The Return,' starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche; Rebecca Lenkiewicz's directorial debut, 'Hot Milk,' 'For the Love of a Woman' (Per amore di una donna) from Italian director Guido Chiesa; 'Harvest' from Athina Rachel Tsangari; and Maltese director Joshua Cassar Gaspar's 'The Theft of the Caravaggio.' More from Variety Catherine Hardwicke, Rick Carter Lead Jury for Mediterrane Film Festival Malta's Mediterrane Film Festival Sets Jury and Special Programming Anupam Kher to Shoot 'The Return' as Australia-India Co-Production (EXCLUSIVE) Out of competition special screenings will include Ira Sachs' 'Peter Hujar's Day' with Ben Wishaw and Rebecca Hall, the Malta-set erotic thriller 'Compulsion' by Neil Marshall, 'Four Letters of Love' with Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter and Gabriel Byrne and 'Time Travel is Dangerous,' narrated by Stephen Fry. A sidebar section with FilmItalia will celebrate new Italian women filmmakers, with selections including 'Diva Futura,' 'Gloria!' and 'Love and Glory – The Long Deledda.' The Mare Nostrum section, meaning 'Our Sea,' returns with six films exploring the climate crisis and environmental themes including 'Lowland Kids,' 'How Deep is Your Love' and 'Transamazonia.' Elli Griff, Rick Carter and Catherine Hardwicke are among the jury members who will also participate in Masterclasses during the festival along with director Joe Carnahan, producer Jeremy Thomas and Glenn Gainor, head of physical production at Amazon Original Movies. The Golden Bee Awards on June 29 will celebrate 100 years of cinema in Malta, held at the historic 18th century Fort Manoel. The festival is led by the new creative team of Festival Director Ray Calleja and Festival Curator Mark Adams, and the theme of this year's event is 'We Are Film.' See the full film program below: MAIN COMPETITION The Return (dir. Uberto Pasolini)Uberto Pasolini's The Return reunites The English Patient co-stars, Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes and Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche in a powerfully original and psychologically revealing adaptation of Homer's Odyssey. After 20 years away, Odysseus (Fiennes) washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. The King has returned from the Trojan War, but much has changed in his kingdom. His beloved wife Penelope (Binoche) is a prisoner in her own home, hounded by suitors vying to be king and planning the death of Telemachus, the son he never knew. Shattered by his experience of war, Odysseus must rediscover his strength in order to win back all that he has lost. Hot Milk (dir. Rebecca Lenkiewicz)Adapted from the acclaimed novel by Deborah Levy, this directorial debut by Rebecca Lenkiewicz sees Sofia and her ailing mother, Rose, travel to the Spanish seaside town of Almería to seek the help of Dr. Gómez, an enigmatic healer who may hold the key to Rose's mysterious illness. As long-buried tensions simmer between them, Sofia finds herself drawn to the magnetic and free-spirited Ingrid. For the Love of a Woman (Per amore di una donna) (dir. Guido Chiesa)Written and directed by Guido Chiesa: A strong and independent woman who hides a painful past. Harvest (dir. Athina Rachel Tsangari)Athina Rachel Tsangari's (Attenberg, Chevalier) striking adaptation of Jim Crace's acclaimed novel finds an idyllic rural community coming under threat from outsiders. Over seven hallucinatory days, a village with no name, in an undefined time and place, disappears. Townsman-turned-farmer Walter Thirsk and befuddled lord of the manor Charles Kent are childhood friends about to face an invasion from the outside world: the trauma of modernity. The Theft of the Caravaggio (dir. Joshua Cassar Gaspar)Orpheus wakes to discover a priceless Caravaggio painting stolen from St. John's Cathedral in Valletta while under his watch. With the city on edge, a detective is brought in from Washington to aid the local police in solving the case. Where The Wind Comes From (dir. Amel Guellaty)Amel Guellaty's long-awaited feature debut is a robust and cinematic feast. The Tunisian-born director, screenwriter and photographer, who directed the critically acclaimed short Black Mamba follows rebellious 19-year-old Alyssa and shy 23-year-old Mehdi who dream of escaping their reality. Upon discovering a contest offering a chance to flee, they embark on a road trip to southern Tunisia, overcoming obstacles along the way. Fiume o Morte! (dir. Igor Bezinovic)Winner of the IFFR 2025 Tiger Award, director Igor Bezinović's meta documentary restages a bizarre episode in Rijeka's history, when it was placed under nationalist occupation by the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio. On 12 September 1919, a troop of some 300 soldiers under the leadership of the flamboyant war loving poet D'Annunzio swooped into the port town of Fiume, now Rijeka, wanting to annex the city to Italy. Over the course of 16 months, during what is regarded as one of the most bizarre militant sieges of all time, his official photography team captured over 10,000 images. A century later, Rijeka-born filmmaker Igor Bezinović, along with some three hundred citizens, orchestrates a direct-action history lesson focused on the siege and its modern-day implications. The Wound (dir. Seloua El Gouni)Leila, a young Moroccan girl who just entered the workforce, tries to pursue her passions and ambitions while navigating the thorny societal constraints imposed on women under the guise of tradition and cultural normalcy. Winner – Best Debut Feature Film at the Athens International Art Film Festival, Greece Reflection in a Dead Diamond (dir. Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani)John D, a septuagenarian living in a luxury hotel on the French Riviera, is intrigued by his female neighbour who reminds him of the wild times spent there during the 1960s, when he was a spy in a changing world full of promise. One day, his neighbour mysteriously disappears and leaves John to face his demons again: are his former adversaries back to sow chaos in his idyllic world? 8 (dir. Julio Medem)Octavio and Adela were born on the same day, April 14th, 1931. During the following 8 decades, their lives will intertwine through intense encounters and misunderstandings in 8 episodes. A passionate love story between a brave and fighting woman and a man confronted with his contradictions. They will have to face coming from families on opposing sides of a country slowly heading towards a Civil War, along with the history of Spain and Europe as a background. OUT OF COMPETITION Peter Hujar's Day (dir. Ira Sachs)Based on a richly cinematic rendering of a conversation recorded in 1974 between photographer Peter Hujar and writer Linda Rosenkrantz the film, starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall, re-imagines their talk that day in a single 24-hour period in the life of Hujar, the brilliant and famously uncompromising artist who was one of the most important figures in downtown New York's legendary cultural scene of the 1970s and 1980s. Compulsion (dir. Neil Marshall)On the island of Malta, two women become involved in an intense affair, a deadly game of cat and mouse and a string of horrifying murders. Four Letters of Love (dir. Polly Steele)A heartfelt adaptation of Niall William's bestselling novel, starring Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter and Gabriel Byrne. Nicholas (Fionn O'Shea) and Isabel (Ann Skelly) were made for each other but how will they ever know it? As destiny pulls them together, family, passion, and faith drive them apart. They follow their own individual journeys of heartache and misplaced love, before fate contrives to pull the threads of their lives together. When they meet, it will become a miracle. Time Travel is DangerousReal-life best friends Ruth and Megan run a vintage shop in Muswell Hill. When they stumble across a time machine, they start taking short trips into the past to 'borrow' unique items to sell in the present. They're not out to change history or rob banks — just on the hunt for the perfect vintage lamp… all while trying to avoid the terrifying time-space vortex known as the Unreason. Ruth Syratt and Megan Stevenson play themselves, with their actual vintage shop, Cha Cha Cha, featured in the film. The film features an all-star British comedy cast, including Johnny Vegas, Jane Horrocks, Sophie Thompson, Mark Heap, Brian Bovell, Tony Way, Guy Henry, and Tom Lenk — and is narrated by Stephen Fry. The Extraordinary Miss Flower (dir. Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard)The Extraordinary Miss Flower brings to life the remarkable story of Geraldine Flower and the discovery of a suitcase full of passionate, heartfelt letters of love sent to her in the 60s and 70s that inspired acclaimed Icelandic singer/songwriter Emilíana Torrini to return to the studio and record an entire album of new songs. Part film, part theatre, part fever dream, the film takes the form of a series of specially designed performances of these songs by Emilíana and her band, combined with dramatic scenes and readings from the letters by well-known actors and musicians (including Caroline Catz, Nick Cave, Alice Lowe and Richard Ayoade). The Wedding Banquet (dir. Andrew Ahn)More than just a remake of the 1993 hit movie, The Wedding Banquet is a joyfully loving and fresh reimagining of a classic comedy of errors about a family navigating cultural identity, queerness, and family expectations as they live, love, fight and make up again. Frustrated with his commitment-phobic boyfriend Chris and running out of time, Min makes a proposal: a green-card marriage with their lesbian friend Angela in exchange for her partner Lee's expensive IVF. Elopement plans are upended, however, when Min's grandmother surprises them with an extravagant Korean wedding banquet… With a pitch-perfect multigenerational cast that includes the great Lily Gladstone, The Wedding Banquet boils over with humour and heart and a reminder that being part of a family means learning to both accept and forgive. Diva Futura (dir. Giulia Louise Steigerwalt)In 1980s-1990s Italy, Riccardo Schicchi's agency Diva Futura turns free love into porn, making stars of Ilona Staller, Moana Pozzi and others. Their fame leads to Cicciolina's election and Pozzi's mayoral run. Gloria! (dir. Margherita Vicario)In singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario's beautiful and rousing musical film, a group of confined young women in 18th century Venice use their musical talents to break free. Gloria! is a soaring feel-good musical reimagining of history about a group of young women musicians who invent pop music in Baroque-era Venice. Set in a convent boarding school, the film follows Teresa who has visionary musical abilities but whose gift remains unsung. Ahead of a visit to the convent by the Pope, Teresa helps to create a musical uprising and leaps across the centuries to defy the dusty old regime by inventing a rebellious, light, and modern music: pop! Love and Glory – The Young Deledda (L'amore e la gloria – La giovane Deledda) (dir. Maria Grazia Perria)Screenwriter and documentary filmmaker Maria Grazia Perria's narrative feature directorial debut is a sensitive, intelligent and arresting biopic of the early life and artistic struggles of Sardinian novelist Grazia Deledda. The first Italian woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, she is portrayed here with no small amount of passion by Marisa Serra. The Ballad of Wallis Island (dir. James Griffiths)The Ballad of Wallis Island follows Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favorite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden & Carey Mulligan) back together. His fantasy turns into reality when the bandmates and former lovers accept his invitation to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig. This City is a Battlefield (Perang Kota) (dir. Mouly Surya)Isa, a taciturn school teacher working for the resistance, is tasked with carrying out an assassination with the help of Hazil, a charming rebel who finds himself falling for Isa's wife, Fatimah. An exquisite period thriller that marries sensual romantic drama with propulsive action spectacle, Mouly Surya's fifth feature recreates life in Jakarta under colonial occupation in fastidious detail, unveiling it in all its seductive and brutal textures. About a Hero (dir. Piotr Winiewicz)After a local factory worker named dies under mysterious circumstances, Werner Herzog travels to Getunkirchenburg to investigate his perplexing death. But Herzog, our narrator, is not who he seems, and the film is not what we expect. About a Hero is an adaptation of a script written by AI, trained on Herzog's body of work. Opening the prestigious 2024 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), and co-starring Vicky Krieps and Stephen Fry, the documentary is ironically self-reflective. As the mystery unfolds, director Piotr Winiewicz intertwines the narrative with a series of 'real' interviews with artists, philosophers and scientists reflecting on the notion of originality, authenticity, mortality and soul in the age of AI. MARE NOSTRUM How Deep is Your Love (dir. Eleanor Mortimer)Scientists explore the mysterious deep sea to collect and name undiscovered species. As they uncover mesmerizing creatures and ecosystems thriving in darkness, a looming threat emerges: the prospect of deep-sea mining in this untouched wilderness. British director Eleanor Mortimer's film weaves wonder with urgency, challenging us to balance the drive for resources with the intrinsic value of an ecosystem. As we journey through this breathtaking realm, we are left to ponder – how deep is our love? Transamazonia (dir. Pia Marais)In the eerie quiet of the vast, verdant Amazon jungle, a young girl stirs to life. Rescued by the local Indigenous tribe, the child, Rebecca, is the only survivor of a plane crash. Years pass, and Rebecca (Helena Zengel) has become something of a local celebrity after her father (Jeremy Xido), an American missionary, has cast the teenager as a faith healer capable of miracles. Just as Rebecca is beginning to have a will of her own, doubting her father and the role in which she's been cast, another crisis emerges when illegal loggers encroach on the land, threatening the livelihoods of the local tribe, and forcing emotional, familial, and racial reckonings. South Africa–born director Pia Marais has fashioned a mesmerizing, entrancingly photographed moral tale with no easy answers that is also a singular coming-of-age fable. Black Butterflies (dir. David Baute)David Baute's beautifully animated film tells the individual stories of Tanit, Valeria and Shaila, three women from very different parts of the world who face the same problem: climate change. They will lose everything because of global warming effects and they will be forced to emigrate to survive. Miyazaki: Spirit of Nature (dir. Léo Favier)A documentary exploring the life and influential works of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, known for films like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away, focusing on his passion for animation and advocacy for the natural world. Only on Earth (dir. Robin Petré)Spain's Southern Galicia is one of the most wildfire-prone zones in Europe. Wild horses have roamed these mountains for centuries and play a crucial role in fire prevention by keeping flammable undergrowth low. But their numbers are dwindling. Petré's film takes the audience on an immersive and visually striking journey into the hottest summer on record while inextinguishable forest fires rage for days. Only on Earth is about the fragile balance of our natural world and the relationship between humans and animals. Lowland Kids (dir. Sandra Winther)The film follows the story of the last two teenagers and their uncle—on Louisiana's once thriving Isle de Jean Charles: their strikingly beautiful ancestral home that is now being swallowed by the sea. Part of the community deemed America's First Climate Refugees, they face an uncertain future as the U.S. government makes an unprecedented effort to resettle their entire community before the island succumbs to the sea. The film is directed by Danish filmmaker Sandra Winther and executive produced by Darren Aronofsky. Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Robert Harris: Why Conclave should have elected an older pope
The author of Conclave has joked that he wishes cardinals had chosen an older pope to increase his chances of seeing another round of revived popularity in his book. Robert Harris said Pope Francis's death had elevated him from a journalist into an unlikely papal commentator who was regularly called in to offer expert insight. His novel Conclave, first published in 2016, also rode a wave of popularity on the back of its recent film adaptation. The 68-year-old told the Hay Festival: 'From my point of view it would have been better if the Conclave had gone on for one or two more days and if they had elected an older pope because I feel as though I have written a Christmas number one which will keep coming back. 'We will have to wait until the next Conclave which may be after my time.' He added: 'I feel like I have suddenly become a most unlikely expert on the papacy, not a role I really ever expected to play. 'But now we can all move on.' The author praised Peter Straughan, whose screenwriting credits include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, for a 'brilliant adaptation' released to critical acclaim in 2024. 'He kept a lot of the dialogue, characters and story, but he boiled it down and kept what was best – he did a terrific job,' Mr Harris said, adding that director Edward Berger was 'wonderful'. Mr Harris said Robert De Niro and Javier Bardem had been pegged for the role of Cardinal Lawrence before Ralph Fiennes was chosen. 'That speech that he delivers – 'there will be no need for faith' – is just so brilliantly done,' the author said of Mr Fiennes, revealing that the actor and director had asked to change the character's nationality from Spanish to English. 'I looked across the table and I thought do I really want to lose Ralph Fiennes? No, make him English it won't make any difference. And of course it doesn't make any difference at all,' the author said. Looking back at the revival of interest in his book, he said: 'I found myself peculiarly having written a sort of primer. 'So much so that the new pope watched the Conclave movie on the eve of the Conclave so that he knew what was coming.' Pope Leo XIV watched the film to 'know how to behave', according to his brother. John Prevost, 71, who lives in Chicago, told news reporters that he had asked his brother as a joke whether he had watched the film, and the future pope confirmed he had. 'His brother is one of those great brothers who clearly just blurts out anything,' Mr Harris said, adding: 'He could be a source of great amusement in the years to come.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
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
One iconic Hollywood actor has been tipped to play Voldemort in the upcoming HBO remake of JK Rowling 's Harry Potter. 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. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 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.'
