Ralph Fiennes says he's ready to return to the Harry Potter franchise as the villain Voldemort, which could see him reunite with the controversial creator J.K. Rowling, whom he recently defended.
The esteemed actor shared his desire for a franchise return with Variety during a red carpet event in New York for The Menu. He said if Rowling or Warner Bros. asked to work on future Harry Potter content, he would not hesitate to play Voldemort again. "Sure, of course," Fiennes said regarding the prospect of reprising his Lord Voldemort role before insisting he would jump at the chance to return to the franchise. "No question about it," he emphatically added. Coincidentally, Warner Bros. appears to be reorganizing the franchise after the failure of the Fantastic Beasts' films, reportedly set to adapt the hit sequel play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, potentially leaving prequel prospects open for Fiennes.
Ralph Fiennes' J.K. Rowling Defense
The return tease comes shortly after Fiennes defended Rowling against backlash from her social media comments about trans people and biological sex. Rowling stoked outrage from the LGBTQ+ community for her comments, which eschews the concept that gender identity supersedes biological sex. Fiennes, while avoiding any affirmation of Rowling's beliefs, told the New York Times this past October that he found the verbal abuse aimed at her appalling and cited her books about empowerment and encouraging young children in defense of her character. It's not the first time Fiennes supported Rowling following controversial comments as he defended the author publicly in March of last year, condemning the abuse she received on social media.
Though Fiennes has been forgiving, other Harry Potter stars such as Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have distanced themselves from Rowling in the wake of her comments. Radcliffe spoke out against Rowling, saying he identified with many queer and trans children who were Harry Potter fans who felt disappointed by her statements. The comments also led the real-life sport of Quidditch to rebrand itself as Quadball to separate itself from Rowling, according to a joint statement by U.S. Quidditch and Major League Quidditch. However, the aforementioned plans with Warner Bros. will apparently see the studio collaborating with Rowling once again.
Fiennes, an English actor and Shakespeare interpreter, received Oscar nods in 1994 for Schindler's List (Best Supporting Actor) and 1997 for The English Patient (Best Lead Actor). He first played Lord Voldemort -- serving as the first fully realized manifestation of the form-deprived character -- in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. From there, he would reprise the character, also referred to as "He Who Must Not Be Named," in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 and the grand finale Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II.
Meanwhile, Fiennes is promoting The Menu, in which he plays Julian Slowik, an eccentric celebrity chef who prepares unique fine dining experiences. The black comedy film, co-written by Will Tracy and Seth Reiss, also stars Anya Taylor-Joy (Margot), Nicholas Hoult (Tyler) and Hong Chau (Elsa). It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 10.
The Menu premieres in theaters on Nov. 18.
Source: Variety