Harry Potter New TV Show: 25 Castings That Must Happen
20. Lucy Punch As Rita Skeeter
A corrupt, gloriously hateful journalist who feels just as relevant today as she did when she was first created, Rita Skeeter is a terrific side villain... in the books. In the Goblet of Fire movie, although Miranda Richardson was well-cast and did alright with what she was given, it's hard to understand why she was even included, as the character didn't do anything whatsoever.
Skeeter is therefore another character who will hopefully get a far better onscreen interpretation in this reboot, and Lucy Punch would be an excellent choice for her. Punch has played a nasty journalist before - onstage in Richard Bean's play Great Britain - and she's very good at playing a hilariously nasty villain.
Her delightful performance as Esme Squalor in Netflix's brilliant A Series of Unfortunate Events gave off major Rita Skeeter vibes, and strongly suggests she'd realize the character in all her unlikable yet entertaining glory.