John Lithgow is nearing a deal to star as Professor Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s hotly anticipated Harry Potter series, sources told Deadline and Variety.
HBO did not confirm any casting for the show based on JK Rowling’s bestselling books. “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation,” the network said in a statement to Deadline. “As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”
The series, designed to run for over a decade, hails from writer/showrunner and Francesca Gardiner and director/executive producer Mark Mylod of Succession. Rowling serves as an executive producer. With a new cast, the show will delve into more detail than the eight feature films spawned by the epic franchise, released between 2001 and 2011.
The series will be “full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years”, Max, the newly branded streaming service for HBO, promised in a statement upon the series announcement in April 2023.
“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.”
Casey Bloys, chair of Max content, said the new show “will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years”.
Casting speculation has abounded since, with reports that Warner Bros has reached out to Mark Rylance to play Dumbledore, played in the films by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Paapa Essiedu was offered the role of Severus Snape, played by the late Alan Rickman, and rumors have swirled that Cillian Murphy will take up the Voldemort-shaped mantle left by Ralph Fiennes.
HBO also launched the search for the next Harry, Ron and Hermione – played in the films by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson – in September, with an open casting call for child actors aged nine to 11 based in the UK and Ireland. The casting call asked for prospective actors to submit two short self-tapes in their own accent – a short poem or story, but nothing from Harry Potter.
Announcement of the series was met with mixed reactions from Harry Potter fans. Some felt that the longer format would allow for greater detail and faithfulness to the seven-book series, while others were conflicted over Rowling’s involvement despite anti-trans comments that have drawn criticism from some of the franchise’s original stars.
Rowling’s expansive Harry Potter world – including the books, films, video games and theater – is worth an estimated £20bn ($25bn).
No release date has been set for the series, though Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav said in February 2024 that the network aimed for a 2026 premiere.
Lithgow was recently seen in Conclave, the papal election thriller that received eight Oscar nominations. He was also at the Sundance film festival in January with a role in Jimpa, a queer family drama also starring Olivia Colman.
