Harry Potter icon Ralph Fiennes is the new star of the movie The Return, and the star is worlds away from his usual looks as he transforms into a Greek King.
The handsome British actor, 61, looked completely buff, long-haired and scraggly in the new trailer for The Return.
The trailer sees him step into the role of Odysseus, the legendary hero and King of Ithaca in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey – which required him to get buff.
Speaking about his transformation in promotion of the film, the actor known for playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise, said that he wanted his character’s body to not have ‘much fat’ and look like his body is made of ‘ropes’.
‘I’m 60, so it’s not a young body,’ he told Bleeker Films. ‘I use the word “ropey” and said I wanted it to look ropey like a piece of old rope.’
Fans were gobsmacked by his new look and took to Instagram to compliment the star. ‘What in the adaba kadabra? He looks FINEEEEE!!!,’ said krizmor7.
‘Swoledemort,’ joked suraj_john29. ‘Ripped Fines,’ said weeman_65.
When the trailer was first released, much of the conversation from fans focused on Fiennes’s incredible transformation for the role.
‘Holy moly Ralph buffed himself up some for this. Fair play,’ Terron29 commented on YouTube.
‘Not a fan of remakes but holy s**t Ralph Fiennes getting into shape to play as Odysseus? I’m in,’ commented Faust_YT.
‘I can’t get over how great Ralph Fiennes looks as Odysseus in the upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey called The Return. I totally buy him as someone who’s been gone for 20 years and is now about to make those suitors PAY…’ said MuseZack.
The film stars Fiennes and Juliette Binoche as his wife Penelope who has been waiting for Odysseus since he left to fight in the Trojan War two decades earlier.
It’s already received a great deal of buzz, following hot off the coattails of other epic period action films such as Gladiator 2.
This is the second time Harry Potter star Fiennes and Binoche will be working together, 28 years after their appearance in the 1996 film The English Patient.
The 90s movie was a massive hit and received twelve nominations at the 69th Academy Awards, winning nine.
Some of the awards included Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Binoche – setting expectations high as the two actors reunite on screen.
The actor is set to star in an ‘Oscar-worthy’ drama about the Pope, Conclave. Directed by Edward Berger, the film is based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel.
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The film follows Cardinal Lawrence (played by Fiennes) who is tasked with the ancient process of selecting the next Pope when he ends up uncovering shocking truths about the potential candidates.
Conclave is released at the end of this month, which means the actor is set to have a jam-packed winter promoting both of his drama-laden new films.
The Return is set to debut in cinemas on December 6.
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