Being Lord Voldemort (Malkovich in Potter IV)

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 11:19 pm

I know there are a lot of Potter fans here so I thought I'd mention...

From IMDB:

Malkovich Signs for 'Potter IV'

Hollywood star John Malkovich has landed a starring role in the next Harry Potter movie, playing evil Lord Voldemort. The Dangerous Liaisons actor's daughters Amandine, 13 and Lowrie, 12 - huge fans of the fantasy franchise - convinced him to appear in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. But he will have to share the part with a computerized puppet - at the beginning of the film, the wizard is supposed to be so wasted by his own evil he is barely a skeleton. A movie insider says, "He is perfect for the role. He will play the 'restored' human version of Lord Voldemort and has a spectacular fight scene with Harry at the end of the film." Mike Newell has taken on directing duties on the fourth Potter picture, which recently began shooting. The first two were helmed by Chris Columbus and the third - the soon to be released Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban - was directed by Alfonso Cuaron.

Paka · Post by **Paka** » Sat May 01, 2004 2:01 am

Ya know, I saw that on my daily IMDb visit, too, and I'm kinda pissed at them for reporting it. It showed up in the "HP grapevine" a couple days ago, and a WB spokesman has already refuted it. So where IMDb's getting this "Malkovich Signs" nonsense is beyond me. >_<

Of course, the IMDb also "reported" earlier this year that Rowan Atkinson was a definite for Volemort.

Post by **Luke** » Sat May 01, 2004 7:13 am

Paka wrote:Ya know, I saw that on my daily IMDb visit, too, and I'm kinda pissed at them for reporting it. It showed up in the "HP grapevine" a couple days ago, and a WB spokesman has already refuted it. So where IMDb's getting this "Malkovich Signs" nonsense is beyond me. >_<

Of course, the IMDb also "reported" earlier this year that Rowan Atkinson was a definite for Volemort.

And that Nicole Kidman signed on for The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, when she now hasn't.

IMDb News is a bit more reliable than tabloids. A lot of their stories make me have my doubts.

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Sat May 01, 2004 7:31 am

Luke wrote:IMDb News is a bit more reliable than tabloids. A lot of their stories make me have my doubts.

Are you suggesting that tabloids play fast and loose with the truth?

Shame on you, Mr. Luke of Lukedom.

Sorry if I posted a bum...er....post. I thougth I was doing the right thing...

Clearly I was wrong and should of course be punished for my sins.

Subsequently, Luke will be forced to put a black mark on my permanent record.

Post by **Luke** » Sat May 01, 2004 7:48 am

Loomis wrote:Are you suggesting that tabloids play fast and loose with the truth?

Shame on you, Mr. Luke of Lukedom.

Sorry if I posted a bum...er....post. I thougth I was doing the right thing...

Clearly I was wrong and should of course be punished for my sins.

Subsequently, Luke will be forced to put a black mark on my permanent record.

Silly man. Posting stuff here is usually good. Just that IMDb News kinda sucks. Anyway, the mark is more of a dark gray.

Matty-Mouse · Post by **Matty-Mouse** » Sat May 01, 2004 10:43 am

I just don't see this being true, J.K. said she only wanted actors from the UK and Ireland (unless the characters are forgien themselves) so I'm taking this with a pinch of salt.

Jermey Irons is my pick for Voldey, he's just got a great "evil" voice. Look at Scar for prove.

2099net · Post by **2099net** » Sat May 01, 2004 10:46 am

I think Leslie Grantham would make a cool Vordemort. Really. I do. I'm not being funny.

Failing that how about Charles Dance?

Disneykid · Post by **Disneykid** » Sat May 01, 2004 6:21 pm

WB's confirmed that John Malkovich will NOT be playing Voldemort. Personally, I think they should bring Ian Hart back. Ian not only played Quirrel in movie 1, but he provided the voice of Voldie as well as the facial model for Voldie's CGI face. If they went to such lengths to do that, they must expect him to come back for movie 4 and onward where he can simply wear makeup that mimics the CGI face from movie 1.

Mr. Toad · Post by **Mr. Toad** » Sat May 01, 2004 11:02 pm

How about Alan Rickman. He is good at playing evil and is English.

Paka · Post by **Paka** » Sun May 02, 2004 1:44 am

...uh, Alan Rickman already plays Snape.

I dunno what the whole fuss is about the Voldemort casting... If they stayed with the book's canon, the actor would be virtually unrecognizable anyway, all made up to look like some serpentine alien.
I mean, Rowling's reiterated several times Voldemort's physical description; tall, skeletal build, white skin, large red eyes with cat-like pupils, flat slitted nose, spidery fingers. So again, if they followed the books' description, it really wouldn't matter who played the big V anyway.
Of course, with the way the Hollywood-ized films go (plus I'm not so sure about this Mike Newell guy as director...), they'll probably get some well-known Brit that's usually typecast into evil roles, and just paint his face white.

And Disneykid, I dunno what's up with the whole Ian Hart/Voldemort thing, but I sure as heck would like to know the facts about the matter. For the longest time, Richard Bremmer has been touted as Voldemort's voice and facial model for HPPS, from many different sources. So why is there another story, from fewer sources, about Ian Hart playing Quirrell + the voice and facial model for Voldemort? What's with the confusion? Why is the support for the stories so lopsided? And why would Bremmer be in the picture at all - if Ian Hart was used for everything?

Anyhoo, I wish they just made it easy on themselves and cast Bremmer (or Hart... whatever) back so the voices would remain consistant; and plus, as I've pounded in already, under the makeup and prothetics of a canon Voldemort the actor would not matter anyway. So enough with the celebrity casting for the bad guy! T'would be the same as casting, like, Anthony Hopkins to play Sauron.

2099net · Post by **2099net** » Sun May 02, 2004 8:29 am

'Everyone' signed for role of Voldemort in Harry Potter 4.

Warner Brothers have issued a press release that finally stops all the speculation about who will play the dastardly Lord Voldemort in the upcoming film 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'. In a surprising move, almost every male English actor has been cast.

A Warner spokesman said the following: "The casting of Harry's nemesis Voldemort has been eagerly anticipated, more than any other character in the films. We quickly realised no single actor could do the role justice, so we decided to cast every actor who had even remotely expressed interest in the role. Each actor will be on screen for five seconds, before special effects morph the character into the new actor's likeness."

Rowan Atkinson, best known as the bumbling Mr Bean, was rumoured to have the part several months ago and revealed the following. "I'm playing Voldemort for 5 seconds in scene 246 of the film. I only have one line. Well, it's not really a line, more of a sort of choking/strangling noise, before Voldemort morphs into Richard E. Grant. I'm very happy with the slot I've been given."

However, some other notable actors are not as happy. Stephen Fry is a huge fan of the books, and is not happy with his slot. "They've assigned me a 5 second piece in scene 371 (but I've been told script revisions may result in my scene being 363). Basically I just stand there for 5 seconds doing nothing. I suspect I'll only be in the background. But then after my 5 seconds, Voldemort morphs into Jim Broadbent, who morphs into Hugh Grant who then morphs into Colin Firth. And Firth has a rather dramatic "Noooooooo!" to shout. So basically I miss out on one of the most spectacular moments by 10 seconds."

Ewan McGregor is also one of the actors who is not happy. "I spend 6 years of my life in the wrong damn films," he said referring to the Star Wars prequels, "and only 5 seconds in Harry Potter? Boy, did I make the wrong choice."

Oddly, the much despised English actors The Chuckle Brothers share the most pivotal 10 seconds of the film where Voldemort finds himself reborn. Stephen Fry bitched, "The Chuckle Brothers? I've seen more talent in a wet lettuce. If they can depict the exhilaration and excitement Voldemort must be feeling when regenerated, I'll eat my hat."

Disneykid · Post by **Disneykid** » Sun May 02, 2004 9:18 am

Paka wrote:And Disneykid, I dunno what's up with the whole Ian Hart/Voldemort thing, but I sure as heck would like to know the facts about the matter. For the longest time, Richard Bremmer has been touted as Voldemort's voice and facial model for HPPS, from many different sources. So why is there another story, from fewer sources, about Ian Hart playing Quirrell + the voice and facial model for Voldemort? What's with the confusion? Why is the support for the stories so lopsided? And why would Bremmer be in the picture at all - if Ian Hart was used for everything?

That's EXACTLY what I thought. I always thought Richard Bremmer was Voldemort's voice...until an article convinced me otherwise. It was an issue of Cinefex I think (a magazine on movie effects), and one issue was devoted to the first HP film:

"Ian Hart provided the voice of Voldemort, timing his performance as Quirrell to become more passive as Voldemort grew more powerful... 'Ian Hart's reading as Voldemort was very energetic. He sounded a bit like Richard Harris...' says ILM's David Andrew, the directing animator for the sequence in "HP and the Philosopher's Stone", when Voldemort's face confronts Harry in the Mirror of Erised chamber.

That's enough to convince me that Ian was Voldie. This also clears up the confusion of the end credits. The credits state Quirrell/Voldemort for Ian Hart and Lord Voldemort for Richard Bremmer. Now we know that Ian was the voice and facial model for Voldemort, and Richard Bremmer played him physically during the flashback sequence.

Matty-Mouse · Post by **Matty-Mouse** » Sun May 02, 2004 9:50 am

#Chuckle Vision, C-chuck-le Vision, Chuckle, Chuckle Vision#

Mr. Toad · Post by **Mr. Toad** » Sun May 02, 2004 10:45 am

Oh Rickman is already in it. Did I mention I am not a big Potter fan?

I guess this Snape must be a bad guy.

pinkrenata · Post by **pinkrenata** » Sun May 02, 2004 1:40 pm

JimmyJackJunior wrote:Oh Rickman is already in it. Did I mention I am not a big Potter fan?

I guess this Snape must be a bad guy.

Snape is more of a questionable sort of character. Sort of bad, yet many young Harry Potter fans (myself not included), find him dead sexy.

By the way, Netty, thanks for all your reliable info on the subject. The scoop on the 5-second roles is amazing. You must really have some good sources!

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Sun May 02, 2004 9:29 pm

pinkrenata wrote: Snape is more of a questionable sort of character. Sort of bad, yet many young Harry Potter fans (myself not included), find him dead sexy.

By the way, Netty, thanks for all your reliable info on the subject. The scoop on the 5-second roles is amazing. You must really have some good sources!

He just has too much time on his hands

(Kidding, Netty. You're a champ).

Actually, is it just me or does Alan Rickman as Snape strike an uncanny resemblance to Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)?

Just a (wittless) observation...

Bashful · Post by **Bashful** » Mon May 03, 2004 1:52 am

This blending of several different actors together, as 2099net reported, sounds a bit far fetched to me. I would have loved to see someone like Jeremy Irons in the role of Voldemort (or any other HP baddie for that matter), because he definitely has THE VOICE. Think about his performance in the Lion King, for example. Sigh...

Disneykid · Post by **Disneykid** » Mon May 03, 2004 1:32 pm

Urm, you guys DO know 2099's post was one big tongue in cheek report, right? No one's been casted as Voldemort, yet, and they certainly aren't blending multiple actors for this role.

pinkrenata · Post by **pinkrenata** » Mon May 03, 2004 3:02 pm

Disneykid wrote:Urm, you guys DO know 2099's post was one big tongue in cheek report, right? No one's been casted as Voldemort, yet, and they certainly aren't blending multiple actors for this role.

Come on, man. There's no way Netty would ever lye to us. He's an honest Brit.

jambo*rafiki · Post by **jambo*rafiki** » Mon May 03, 2004 5:56 pm

2099net wrote: Rowan Atkinson, best known as the bumbling Mr Bean, was rumoured to have the part several months ago and revealed the following. "I'm playing Voldemort for 5 seconds in scene 246 of the film. I only have one line. Well, it's not really a line, more of a sort of choking/strangling noise, before Voldemort morphs into Richard E. Grant. I'm very happy with the slot I've been given."

Ewan McGregor is also one of the actors who is not happy. "I spend 6 years of my life in the wrong damn films," he said referring to the Star Wars prequels, "and only 5 seconds in Harry Potter? Boy, did I make the wrong choice."

Oddly, the much despised English actors The Chuckle Brothers share the most pivotal 10 seconds of the film where Voldemort finds himself reborn. Stephen Fry bitched, "The Chuckle Brothers? I've seen more talent in a wet lettuce. If they can depict the exhilaration and excitement Voldemort must be feeling when regenerated, I'll eat my hat."

Oh my God . . .

where did you get that? Did you make it up? It sounds like an Onion article (yes, I know it's fake) . . .

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Being Lord Voldemort (Malkovich in Potter IV)

Being Lord Voldemort (Malkovich in Potter IV)