'They were the abusers, but at some point they were the abused': Johnny Flynn on the Lucius Malfoy he plays from episode one

You'd think after all these years, we'd finally got our fill of Harry Potter—but apparently not, if HBO has anything to say about it. They're giving the Wizarding World a proper dusting off and diving much deeper than the original films ever managed. We're not just talking about rehashing Harry and his mates, either. Even supporting types like Lucius Malfoy are getting more than their five minutes in the spotlight this time.

Early Doors for Lucius

So, what's changing? For starters, instead of waiting around until 'Chamber of Secrets' to air his villainous blond locks, the new series is bringing Lucius into the frame straight away in 'Philosopher's Stone'. That's a fair shift: in the films, he didn't show up until the second instalment, but HBO wants viewers to meet the head of House Malfoy from the get-go. The idea is to show what makes him tick, not just let him be the peroxide baddie lurking in the background.

Lucius Malfoy is due to appear from the very first episode this time, not second film territory.

On casting, Johnny Flynn—who's had a decent turn in 'Stardust' and 'Lovesick'—is stepping into Jason Isaacs' snakeskin boots. Turns out it’s not just a new face, but a new approach. In an interview with Radio Times, Flynn explained his thinking around Lucius, hinting at something a bit greyer than the pantomime villain we’re all used to.

Here’s how Flynn described his angle on the Malfoy patriarch:

He was one of those kids bullied in his school, and he’s now turned into the bully, so he doesn’t know another way. That's how I want to play him, because I know those people quite well. On the one hand, they were the people that bullied me, they were the abusers, but at some point, they were the abused. So, nobody’s outright good or bad in the world.

Casting, Criticism, and Fandom Baggage

This is, frankly, a welcome bit of nuance for a character who's spent most of his life in the series twirling his cane and looking menacing. The whole TV format gives them room to explore all the tricky little corners of J.K. Rowling’s world, and Flynn looks keen to push it. Of course, no Harry Potter project these days comes without a dash of controversy. Thanks to Rowling’s ongoing reputation issues, every new cast name tends to draw internet flak—Flynn included.

• This series marks Lucius Malfoy's first on-screen appearance in 'Philosopher's Stone'—not 'Chamber of Secrets' as before.

That hasn’t cooled Flynn’s enthusiasm. Although he admits to getting his fair share of stick for signing on, he’s still well up for it. Apparently, he’s a fan from back in the day; he was about 10 or 11 when the first book landed, and by the time the last one dropped, he’d finished drama school, sneaking Harry Potter behind another book so nobody noticed.