Harry Potter’s TV show is already setting up Lord Voldemort, and seems to be diving into the Dark Lord’s story earlier than the movies did. The character didn’t properly show up in the Harry Potter movies until The Goblet of Fire (played by Ralph Fiennes), though he did appear in the back of Professor Quirrell’s head at the end of The Philosopher’s Stone. For a while now, there’ve been rumors that the remake would cast Voldemort earlier and have him turn up in Season 1, and they appear to be coming to fruition.
HBO’s series is currently filming in the English village of Lustleigh. Previous photos from the Harry Potter set revealed this to be Godric’s Hollow, and now new images [via William Dax/SNSW and shared by Wizarding World Direct on X] give even greater context. They show people dressed up in Halloween costumes, essentially confirming that this is all taking place on the night James and Lily Potter are killed by Lord Voldemort.
Better look at the filming of the HARRY POTTER TV series in Lustleigh
This is the night when Lord Voldemort k*lls Lily and James Potter in Godric’s Hollow, on Halloween night, October 31, 1981 🎃
(Credit to William Dax / SWNS) pic.twitter.com/40BC5otJFi
— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) October 15, 2025
Given they’re filming this, it means we’re almost certainly going to get full Voldemort flashbacks. That will presumably include him going to the Potters’ house, murdering Harry’s parents, and then his spell rebounding, before Hagrid collects baby Harry.
Including Voldemort Killing James & Lily Makes Sense For Harry Potter’s TV Show
Despite being a departure from both the book and movie, it’d be smart for Harry Potter’s remake to include Lord Voldemort killing Lily and James – indeed, partly because it’s such a departure. The TV show needs to be able to do its own thing while still staying true to the source material, and to give viewers a different experience from the movies, and this is exactly the kind of addition that fits with that.
Introducing Voldemort early has some other advantages, too, and there’s a strong case to be made for this being the opening scene of the series. This is where Harry’s story truly begins, after all, so it’s a logical starting point for the TV show. It provides audiences with immediate clarity about what happened, while still allowing some things – such as Lily’s love saving him, and the prophecy – to unfold later on. And it better establishes the direct link between Harry and Voldemort. This is, in essence, the moment that defines the entire story, so there’s no better place to begin.
It would also be quite a dark and thrilling opening, especially if they were to do it as a cold open, not dissimilar to something like the White Walkers scene in Game of Thrones‘ pilot. It immediately builds the saga’s stakes and main villain, and then it can go into Vernon Dursley’s workday, where the Wizarding World openly celebrates among the Muggles. This gives us a much better sense of why the emotions are so high, and a fantastic juxtaposition of tones, all of which can help the remake stand apart from the movies.
Of course, if this is going to be the night Voldemort kills the Potters, there’s also the question of who will play him in the series. High-profile actors such as Cillian Murphy and Matt Smith have long been fancast for the role, but it seems they are not taking on the part. There have even been rumors that HBO is auditioning women for the role of Voldemort as well as men. No official casting news has yet been announced, but if Season 1 is going to include the dark wizard, it might have to be sooner rather than later.
Harry Potter Season 1 is currently filming and will be released on HBO and HBO Max sometime in 2027.
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