The Lucius Malfoy torch may soon be passed — and Jason Isaacs, who brought the slick-haired Slytherin patriarch to life in five Harry Potter films, already has a surprising pick in mind for HBO’s upcoming reboot. Asked by Variety who he’d like to see take over the role in the new series, Isaacs didn’t hesitate:
"Meryl Streep. She can do anything, that woman. There’s literally no limit to what she can do."
It’s an answer that raised eyebrows — and smirks — but Isaacs doubled down, implying all she’s missing is a wand and a green velvet cloak.
While the idea of Streep, a three-time Oscar winner, stepping into Lucius Malfoy’s dark robes might sound unconventional, it’s not entirely without precedent. Hollywood has a rich history of such performances — Tilda Swinton in Suspiria and Cate Blanchett I’m Not There, to name the few. Swinton played male psychoanalyst Dr. Josef Klemperer, while Cate Blanchett channeling Bob Dylan in I’m Not There, a role that earned her an Oscar nomination.
Streep herself has shown her range time and again — from icy authority in The Devil Wears Prada to transformative roles in The Iron Lady and Doubt. If anyone could pull off an intimidating, sharp-tongued aristocrat with a flair for theatrical villainy, it’s her.
HBO’s Wizarding World Sets the Bar High
The new HBO adaptation of Harry Potter was confirmed last year, with each book set to receive its own season. So far, only John Lithgow has been officially announced — he’ll play Albus Dumbledore, a casting choice that already hints at the series’ high-caliber ambitions.
As for advice to the new cast? Isaacs isn’t offering any.
"Why would I bother?” he said. “I know some of the people they’re casting already. They’re brilliant actors… The last thing they need is advice from some old fart like me."
Though he admits the original Potter films weren’t always fun to make, Isaacs says the real magic came afterward — through the fans whose lives were touched by the books and movies.
And now, a new generation will return to Hogwarts. Will it come with a surprise twist in the Malfoy family tree? We'll have to wait and see — and perhaps find out what Meryl Streep herself has to say about all this.
