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Story by: Jack Foley
RALPH Fiennes has been named as the next Harry Potter villain.
The popular British star will take on the highly-coveted role
of wicked wizard, Lord Voldemort, in the fourth film in the series,
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
The 41-year-old actor has yet to film any of his scenes, even
though work has begun on the project, which is being directed
by Mike Newell.
But Voldemort is one of the most pivotal characters in the Harry
Potter books, even though his spirit is all that has been seen
so far.
Fiennes is probably best-known for playing the moody romantic
lead in roles such as The English Patient, but he has also memorably
portrayed the villain in Schindler's
List and Hannibal Lecter movie, Red
Dragon.
His other work includes Spider
(pictured above) and Maid
in Manhattan.
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Miranda Richardson is another new
cast member, portraying journalist, Rita Skeeter, while Brendan
Gleeson, who has contributed memorable support turns in Troy,
Cold Mountain and the forthcoming
M Night Shyamalan film, The Village,
has been cast as Potter's new defence against the dark arts, Mad-Eye
Moody.
Katie Leung, meanwhile, is to play Potter's love interest, Cho
Chang.
Needless to say, Daniel Radcliffe returns as the boy wizard,
along with co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, who play his
friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
The film is due for release in 2005 and already looks set to
build on the success of the most recent adventure, The
Prisoner of Azkaban, which co-starred Gary Oldman.
Meanwhile, as work continues on film number four, author, JK
Rowling, has revealed the title of the sixth book in the series
- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
That said, it's not all good news, as co-star Robbie Coltrane
did earlier hint at the possibility that he would no longer be
a part of the series after the forthcoming movie.
The actor is reportedly keen to pursue other interests, although
he did stress that the success of the Potter franchise had boosted
his career and he did not want to seem ungrateful by departing.
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