Interesting casting news as it’s learned 79-year-old John Lithgow is in final talks to play Dumbledore in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series.
Richard Harris first played Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts, in the first two Harry Potter films. Following his death in 2002, Michael Gambon was cast in the role. Jude Law also played the young Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts movies along with Toby Regbo.
HBO responds
HBO has yet to confirm the casting of John Lithcow and would only respond to Deadline with: “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.”
Who stars?
None of the cast has officially been announced and only IMDb has been updated with John Lithcow as Dumbledore. However, that hasn’t stopped the rumors from flying. Rumors include Paapa Essiedu for Potions Master Snape, Sharon Horgan and Lesley Manville for Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, Brett Goldstein for Hogwarts’ gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid, and even Oscar winner Cillian Murphy for Lord Voldemort.
The main roles for Harry Potter, Hermione and Ron are reported to have had 32,000 kids send in audition tapes.
Release info
The Harry Potter TV series doesn’t have a release date as of yet but is expected to debut on HBO in late 2026 or early 2027. The series will also be filmed at the same locations where the movies were shot, in Leavesden, in London.
Details: decade-long series
The official announcement for the series from back in 2023 offered the Harry Potter will be a decade-long series and authentic to the original books:
“The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved ‘Harry Potter’ book series by author and executive producer, J.K. Rowling. From Warner Bros. Television, the new Max Original series will be available on Max in (US) and globally once produced. The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become 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 the 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.”
