In The News

"Half-Blood Prince" Casting News: Helen McCrory will Play Narcissa Malfoy

HBP Film
Posted by: Sue
November 09, 2007, 08:26 AM

Good news this morning as CBBC Newsround can confirm some casting news for the upcoming "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" film. Actress Helen McCrory will play the part of Narcissa Malfoy, the wife of Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. Newsround reminds us that Ms McCrory "was originally cast as Bellatrix Lestrange in the fifth Potter movie, but couldn't play the part because she was expecting a baby."

Also, the site reports that an"announcement on who will play young Tom Riddle and Lavender Brown is expected very soon."

Helen McCrory has appeared in "Anna Karenina" for PBS, as well as The Count of Monte Cristo, and was most recently seen in the hit films "The Queen," and "Becoming Jane," which also co-starred Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) and Dame Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall).UPDATE: You can now see some additional photos of Helen McCrory here in our galleries.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is currently in production and will be released in theaters November 21, 2008.

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Comments (143) | Average 3.2 (503 votes) Browse all Recent HBP Film News
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vandy

Well, she’s not my vision of Narcissa but she is good for the part….

Posted by vandy on November 09, 2007 @ 08:37 AM
helena123

YAY that’s so cool! I was going nuts with no casting news!

And I’m one of the first ones to comment. Word.

Posted by helena123 on November 09, 2007 @ 08:38 AM
Rosa P

I’ve never seen any of the movies she’s been in but she does have a resemblance to Bellatrix in the 5th movie. I just hope she has “corn silk” blond hair like she’s supposed to have. I dont think she’ll have a problem, in one of the still shots of a movie she was in on imdb.com she looks like she dyed her hair red for the part.

Posted by Rosa P on November 09, 2007 @ 08:40 AM
Kelly

Not at all, what I pictured. However, as much as I may wince at the HP movies, I am rarely let down by the casting. I’m sure she’ll be fine.

Posted by Kelly on November 09, 2007 @ 08:40 AM
Ryan

FANTASTIC NEWS! I am thrilled!! Best news sooo far!!

Posted by Ryan on November 09, 2007 @ 08:46 AM
Graymayne

Helena McCrory is a brunette. She played the wife of Tony Blair in the film “The Queen” which starred Helen Mirren.

Posted by Graymayne on November 09, 2007 @ 08:52 AM
Zee

WOW. Great actress, although she will have to have her hair dyed blonde, and possibly wear blue contact lenses. It’s great that they gave her anohter chance to be in the films though. She and Helena get to play sisters now. :-)

Posted by Zee on November 09, 2007 @ 08:53 AM
Colleen McCord

I think she’s great. she looks very much like Helena.

Posted by Colleen McCord on November 09, 2007 @ 08:55 AM
Xenophilius

It’s a pity she was pregnant, she could have been an excellent Bellatrix

Posted by Xenophilius on November 09, 2007 @ 09:02 AM
gilyweed

“Helena McCrory is a brunette”

There are wigs and hair dye – easily fixed.

I am pleased about this, she is a great actress and she and Helena would make very believable sisters.

Posted by gilyweed on November 09, 2007 @ 09:04 AM
REj

She was also in the Anna Karenina mini-series (she played Anna). Somehow she doesn’t seem like a Narcissa to me, but I think she’ll do fine

Posted by REj on November 09, 2007 @ 09:06 AM
Becca

She looks good, as long as her hair goes blonde! =)

Posted by Becca on November 09, 2007 @ 09:22 AM
buttercuplf

I saw reciently Helen McCrory on the film “Becoming Jane” and she didnĀ“t looks like Narcissa at all,but the world of films makes miracles!She could had been a perfect Bellatrix anyway.

Posted by buttercuplf on November 09, 2007 @ 09:24 AM
Mags

Somehow they manage to turn a very brunette Jason Isaacs into, as he puts it, the Paris Hilton-esque Lucius Malfoy. Something tells me they’ll be able to do the same with Helen McCrory’s transformation into Narcissa without batting an eye. (yes, I know Jason’s wearing a wig - but that’s my point - why the fuss about what color her hair is?)

Posted by Mags on November 09, 2007 @ 09:30 AM
HPGENIUS

know wat this means?? it means that spinner’s end is in the film! wohoo! thumbs up for character development! finally

Posted by HPGENIUS on November 09, 2007 @ 09:31 AM
lizetm

For now, I say YAY!

I wanted to see her as Bella from when she was casted the first time, and well, Bella is Narcissa’s sis….oh, they WILL look alike…the only question I have is how she looks with blond hair?

But either way, we finally know! does happy dance!

Posted by lizetm on November 09, 2007 @ 09:35 AM
Iolanthe

It will be interesting to see her. I know she can play cold and evil, just hope she doesn’t come across as too strong. Physically yes they will need to do a lot to her, but actors even change their bodies these days with weight loss and gain to fit a part. I have only seen her in “Charles II The Last King” with Rufus Sewell. She played Barbara Palmer, and ther is a scene where she is finally being dismissed and she had on makeup so thick it would crack if she moved her face and she stalked out of the palace surrounded by all her enemies who were all talking about her, and that kind of cold pride and frozen face is very much like I imagine Narcissa. I think she can do it.

Posted by Iolanthe on November 09, 2007 @ 09:37 AM
stacie

That is fanastic I was so bummed when she couldn’t play bella but this is great. Just FYI she is just about due with her second child.

Posted by stacie on November 09, 2007 @ 09:38 AM
Snapekat

WHO????? I have no idea who she is, but she really doesn’t look like the Narcissa type and not just the hair issue. But as great of an actress Helena B.C. is, she wasn’t my pick for Bellatrix either! I really thought Natasha Richardson would have been a great Narcissa. But no one asked me!!

Posted by Snapekat on November 09, 2007 @ 09:44 AM
Felicia

Hmm… I don’t really know how I feel about this. Helen is a fantastic actress and I’m sure that she will be able to play Narcissa very good but she’s so far away from what I imagined Cissa and I can’t really see her beside Jason and Tom.

But, I wasn’t really that happy when I found out that Jason would be playing Lucius either but wow, look at him… he’s amazing!

Ah well, I’m not really going to say anything more then that before we’ve seen a picture of her as Cissa or in the trailers.

Posted by Felicia on November 09, 2007 @ 09:45 AM
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