While so many of us are focused on elections and Islamofascist terrorists, many of our younger citizens await the next cinematic installment of the wildly popular fiction series that focuses on a battle between good and evil. Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire has been filming all summer without any indication who would portray the corporeal evil that haunts Harry and his friends, Lord Voldemort. At one point, practically every British actor who hadn't yet appeared in the series was rumored to have been cast in the role, including -- laughably -- Rowan Atkinson, better known as Mr. Bean.

Now Warner Bros. has finally announced who will fill the robe of the character so evil that witches and wizards avoid speaking his name, a man whose very face inspires fear and dread.

Ralph Fiennes?

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been named. Ralph Fiennes, who played memorable evil guys in "Red Dragon" and "Schindler's List," has signed on to portray the wicked warlock Voldemort in the next "Harry Potter" movie, Warner Bros. announced Wednesday.

Don't get me wrong; Fiennes is a terrific actor and plays villains well when asked. However, despite his powerful performance in Schindler's List, it's hard to see how anyone associated Fiennes with the snake-like face of evil that Rowling described in Goblet of Fire. The girls will be swooning over the wrong guy!

As a huge Harry Potter fan, thanks to my daughter-in-law, I'm looking forward to seeing Fiennes join the crew for the next film and the ones to follow. Sometimes make-believe battles against evil make for an excellent respite from those we face in real life. If you haven't yet caught Potter Fever, give the books a try.

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Tracked on August 5, 2004 8:32 AM