Per Deadline, it's been confirmed that Bertie Carvel (The Crown, Dalgliesh) will portray Cornelius Fudge in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series. The role was previously played by Robert Hardy in the original film series.
In the Harry Potter novels, Cornelius Fudge is best known as the Minister for Magic during the rise of Lord Voldemort. Though not inherently malicious, Fudge is portrayed as pompous, insecure, and deeply concerned with preserving the illusion of control. Rather than face the uncomfortable truth of Voldemort’s return after the Triwizard Tournament, he chose denial, despite urgent warnings from Albus Dumbledore and testimony from Harry Potter.
To protect public confidence and secure his political standing, Fudge launched a campaign to discredit both Dumbledore and Harry, painting them as unstable and power-hungry. He used the Daily Prophet as a propaganda tool to manipulate public opinion, stalling the wizarding world's response to a growing threat. His refusal to act not only left the Ministry unprepared but also endangered countless lives.
In the movies, the character is humorously remembered as muttering, "He's back," after catching a glimpse of Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This comes after tons of insurmountable evidence has already been gathered to show that Voldemort had already returned.
Ironically, Fudge had once leaned heavily on Dumbledore's counsel and even offered him the Minister position before taking the role himself. It wasn’t until Voldemort appeared in person at the Ministry that Fudge was finally forced to acknowledge the truth, by then, much damage had already been done. His legacy, which has ironic timeliness with today's political climate, remains one of missed warnings, political cowardice, and a failure to lead when it mattered most.
Recently, newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton were cast to portray Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively.
The HBO Max series will also star John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as master Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Francesca Gardiner (His Dark Materials, Succession) is serving as showrunner. Mark Mylod (Succession) is confirmed to be directing multiple episodes of the first season.
While an exact release date for the series has yet to be announced, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, has stressed the studio’s dedication to authenticity.
“This new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have cherished for years,” Bloys said via press statement. “With a devoted creative team, we’ll finally be able to explore the depth and detail of these beloved stories through the long-form storytelling that television makes possible.”