The Harry Potter television remake hasn’t even begun filming yet, and already one cast member is talking about leaving.
In June 2025, Bertie Carvel was cast as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, who will appear in a recurring capacity through the first season of HBO‘s Harry Potter adaptation. The role was previously played by the late English actor Robert Hardy in Warner Bros.’ film series based on the J.K. Rowling novels.
What did Bertie Carvel say about the Harry Potter TV show?
Since Fudge is a character who is mentioned and/or appears in every Harry Potter novel, the expectation is that Carvel will continue to portray him across the entire series run. However, during a recent interview with The Times, the actor hinted that he would not remain with the reboot if the fans did not like it.
“I don’t know how it’s going to fit into my life. I’ve read one script, which I loved, and I’ve read the books. I hadn’t before I got the role. I think I saw one of the films, maybe two. As a boy if I had read these books I would have devoured them,” he explained. “So I am coming at it with a really open mind. Whether I come back [after the first series] probably depends on what the fans think. I mean, I’ll be furious if it’s not an amazing part.”
Harry Potter will be led by newcomers Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. They will be joined by John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, among others.
Francesca Gardiner is serving as head writer and showrunner of the HBO adaptation, with Mark Mylod attached as its director. Described as a “faithful” adaptation of Rowling’s novel series, production on Harry Potter is expected to begin later this year, ahead of its 2026 debut on HBO.
