Thailand may be a world away from Hogwarts, but that hasn't stopped Jason Isaacs, star of The White Lotus Season 3, from weighing in on who should succeed him as Lucius Malfoy in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series. In a recent interview with Variety, Isaacs endorsed none other than Meryl Streep for the iconic role. "She can do anything, that woman. There’s literally no limit to what she can do," he enthused. Streep's versatility is well-documented; she even played a male character, an elderly rabbi, in the HBO miniseries Angels in America. Given her range, there's little doubt she could bring a fresh and compelling take to Lucius Malfoy.
Despite his strong recommendation, Isaacs remains hands-off about offering advice to whoever takes on the role. "I wouldn’t have any advice at all. Why would I bother?" he remarked, expressing confidence in the new cast. "I know some of the people they’re casting already. They’re brilliant actors. It’s going to be fantastic, and the last thing they need is advice from some old fart like me."
Isaacs first brought Lucius Malfoy to life in the second Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and continued to portray the character through to the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. As for the new adaptation, only one casting has been confirmed at the time of this article's publication: John Lithgow will take on the role of Albus Dumbledore, a character previously played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon. Rumors also swirl around potential casting for Severus Snape, originally portrayed by Alan Rickman, with Black Mirror's Paapa Essiedu reportedly in the running, and Minerva McGonagall, originally played by Maggie Smith, with Jessica Jones' Janet McTeer being considered. However, these remain unconfirmed.
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