Simon Pegg has joined the wizarding world of Harry Potter, voicing the infamously cantankerous Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black in Hogwarts Legacy.
Pegg describes his character, the great-great-grandfather of Sirius Black, as the “least popular” Headmaster in the history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. According to Pegg, he’s there to “scupper the efforts of the player,” though he would much rather tend to his surgically manicured beard than carry out any actual school duties.
“We saw Phineas in the books and in the films. He was a portrait in Dumbledore’s office, but this is at a time when he was actually actively the headmaster,” Pegg notes in the announcement video, taking us behind the scenes of Hogwarts Legacy and introducing his character.
Despite being an ancestor of Sirius Black, Phineas doesn’t seem to possess any of the same qualities. In Pegg’s own words, “he’s not noble, he’s not brave, he’s just a self-interested fool,” who will prove to be both a help and a hindrance to players working their way through the game.
The cast also features Lesley Nicol as Professor Matilda Weasley, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Kandace Caine as Professor Onai, a gifted Seer and Divination teacher, and Sohm Kapila as Professor Satyavati Shah, a teacher of Astronomy who is devoted to the sciences.
Luke Youngblood, who played Lee Jordan in the Harry Potter films, has also been confirmed for a role. He will be switching houses to provide the voice of Ravenclaw student Everett Clopton, who is described as an “underachieving rule-breaker and prankster” in contrast to Asif Ali’s Ravenclaw character Mahendra Pehlwaan, an “avid rule-keeper.”
Sebastian Croft and Amelia Gething provide voice options for the game’s playable avatar, while Jason Anthony voices Nearly Headless Nick and the Sorting Hat. The Hat will take knowledge from the student’s past along with input from the player to determine which Hogwarts house will be the right fit – but you don’t have to wait to find out.
Hogwarts Legacy will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 10, on April 4 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on Nintendo Switch on July 25.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
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