Posted in: HBO, Max, TV | Tagged: harry potter, jk rowling

Harry Potter Series: John Lithgow Reportedly In Talks for Dumbledore

John Lithgow is reportedly in talks to play Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore in HBO's upcoming "Harry Potter" series adaptation.

There have been a lot of rumblings about who will be playing who in Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO and Warner Bros. TV's multi-season series adaptation of bestselling author J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" novels from showrunner/writer Francesca Gardiner and director/EP Mark Mylod. Previous reports had Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) being eyed to play Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) being considered for Hogwarts potions master Prof. Severus Snape. In addition, unconfirmed reports had Sharon Horgan and Lesley Manville in the running for Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall and Brett Goldstein in line to portray Hogwarts' gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid. Well, if Deadline Hollywood's exclusive reporting turns out to be a reality, it appears we will have another famous face running Hogwarts – with Emmy Award-winner John Lithgow (Dexter, The Crown) reportedly "in final negotiations" to portray Dumbledore. For their part, HBO isn't saying anything – beyond this statement: "We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals."

Harry Potter: Some of What We Know So Far…

Revealing that 32,000 young actors auditioned for the lead roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron, Gardiner shared back in December 2024 that she "devoured" the books when she was 14 years old and that Rowling's novels offer a "bigger sandpit to play in" than the films. In terms of other characters' ages, we learned that the series is looking to keep them in canon (meaning Snape would be in his really Early 30s, and the Dursleys would be much younger than their big-screen counterparts). Other details shared by Gardiner included how the series will focus more on the Hogwarts staff  and "having fun with [poltergeist] Peeves in the corridor." Mylod added that viewers should expect the series to "dig into the depths and crevices of Hogwarts."

The stories from each of Rowling's Harry Potter books will become (from the initial statement that was released when the series news first dropped) "a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love, and care this global franchise is known for. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of fantastic detail, much-loved characters, and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic, and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally."

The series is written and executive-produced by showrunner Francesca Gardiner (Succession, His Dark Materials, Killing Eve). Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones, The Last of Us) will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.

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