Role Call: The Baddies are Back!

by · October 5, 2014

This week, nearly every notorious villain in the Potter universe will be appearing in a new project – mobsters, a Sith, and even a king! Take a look at what’s next for the cast of Harry Potter, if you dare…

If you haven’t had your fill of Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy), get ready! Netflix has inked a deal with Weinstein Co. and Endemol to bring Peaky Blinders to subscribers in the US beginning in November, according to Variety. The series is described as a gangster drama set in 1919 Birmingham, England, and follows the Shelby family. Watch the trailer for the series below:

http://youtu.be/MwKMHsxESX0

Interestingly enough, Helen’s on-screen husband, Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), has a new project out now for the younger set. We brought the casting news of his speculated role in the animated series Star Wars Rebels back in July, and now the series has premiered! In a one-hour launch on the Disney Channel, fans get their first look at Isaacs as the Inquisitor. Take a look at his character in the in-depth video from IGN, including footage of Isaacs recording for his creepy role in the Star Wars universe!

Isaacs has also been tweeting from the set of Dig, now filming in New Mexico – take a look!

Despite being busy with filming for The Casual Vacancy, Sir Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore, PoA-DH2) is still taking on new roles! It was announced this week that Gambon has joined the cast of The Hollow Crown: War of the Roses, based on Shakespeare’s Henry VI and Richard III. He will play Sir Edmund Mortimer in this follow-up installment to the first Hollow Crown season, which originally aired in 2012 on BBC2. Another rumored role is one we spoke about earlier this year, Dad’s Army, also starring Bill Nighy (Rufus Scrimgeour) as Private Wilson and Toby Jones (Dobby) as Captain Mainwaring. Also rumored to be considering a role in the remake of the television series is John Hurt (Garrick Ollivander).

In a twist we didn’t see coming but can definitely picture, Hurt has been cast as Tom in a six-part mob series for BSkyB and Canal Plus. The Last Panthers is set to begin filming on October 27 and a synopsis of the first episode is below:

…a diamond heist before plunging into the dark heart of Europe where a shadowy alliance of gangsters and crooked moneymen — banksters’ — now rules.

Focus Features has purchased the North American distribution rights to A Little Chaos after its debut at TIFF. The film was written and directed by Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), who also starred alongside his Sense and Sensibility co-star Kate Winslet.  You can see the movie, in which Rickman plays King Louis XIV, beginning March 27, 2015.

Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge) has started rehearsals for her stage role in Gypsy, and photos from the rehearsal were released last week. She will play Mama Rose in the Chichester Festival Theatre production, set to debut October 6. To learn more about the production and purchase tickets, click here and view the photos below:

In addition, Staunton briefly spoke about her role as one of the three fairies in Disney’s Maleficent. With the DVD nearing its October 20 release date, she discussed her character Knotgrass and how lucky she felt to be a part of the film:

It’s wonderful. Aren’t we lucky? Here we are, all grown-ups dressing up as fairies and pixies. There’s nothing better, quite frankly. I feel very lucky to be part of someone else’s really extraordinary imagination.

Clémence Poésy (Fleur Delacour) has been cast in a new thriller, The Ones Below. Principal photography has started in London with Clémence playing the role of Kate.  Take a look at the synopsis from Deadline.com below:

…two affluent couples living above and below each other whose lives become fatally interlinked.  [The film follows] upstairs couple Kate and Justin, who are expecting their first baby, and Jon and Teresa who move in downstairs and are also expecting a child. In contrast to Kate, Teresa is full of joy at the prospect of imminent motherhood. Pregnancy brings the women together in shared confidence, until one night a joint dinner begins to reveal all is not as it seems with ‘The Ones Below.’

According to a Radio Times review of Dame Maggie Smith‘s (Minerva McGonagall) My Old Lady, the film will be premiering at the London Film Festival beginning October 13 and is set for a wider release on November 21.

Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter) is slated to appear with Harry Hill in a new family comedy, Professor Branestawm. No word yet on Miranda’s role in the comedy, based on a children’s book series by Norman Hunter.

While the fall season brings a large number of new television series into your home, we hope you’re paying attention to at least one of them in particular. Fan Clo emailed us last week to remind us of the series, but we’re right there with you, Clo! If you haven’t been watching ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, you might want to check it out! The legal drama stars Potter‘s Alfie Enoch (Dean Thomas), and his roll as Wes is not a small part! He absolutely dominated the first episode, which aired on September 25. Check your cable provider’s On Demand service to get caught up before this week’s new episode!

Mission: Impossible 5 has gained a house-elf, er… we mean, actor! Simon McBurney, who voiced Kreacher in Deathly Hallows – Part 1, has been cast in the latest installment of the MI series. Little is known about his new role in the film other than that he will portray the boss of another yet-to-be-named character played by Rebecca Ferguson. The film is currently in production with a release date set for Christmas 2015, but you can also catch a glimpse of Simon alongside David Thewlis (Remus Lupin) in the upcoming The Theory of Everything.

Finally, the ultimate baddie himself is taking the stage in February! Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) will appear in a play by George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, at the Lyttleton Theatre. You can review the synopsis of the play below:

…tale of two men caring for an orphaned girl. As the relationship between guardian and girl becomes romantic, she tries to wheedle her way into his heart.

That’s all for this week’s edition of casting news! Check back weekly to find out what the cast and crew of the Potter series are up to, and don’t forget to take a peek at our cast pages, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, and let us know what YOU think about the latest projects by commenting below!