According to John Lithgow, he will portray Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter television series. Following the success of the eight Warner Bros. films, a new HBO series is now scheduled to adapt J. K. Rowling’s cherished book series for the small screen.
The Harry Potter TV series’ star has not yet been revealed, but Francesca Gardiner will be the showrunner. Lithgow may be close to landing a role as Dumbledore, a part that was previously occupied by the late actors Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, according to a source last week.
Today, Lithgow formally reveals that he has been hired as the Hogwarts Headmaster in HBO’s Harry Potter TV series in an interview with ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley to promote his new movie, The Rule of Jenny Penn.
The 79-year-old actor acknowledges that the decision to accept was difficult due to the significant time commitment at this point in his career, even though he doesn’t reveal any information about the series. See the following comment from Lithgow:
“Well, it came as a total surprise to me. I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid.
But I’m very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That’s why it’s been such a hard decision. I’ll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I’ve said yes”.
As of right now, no formal casting has been revealed, and Lithgow is the first actor to confirm their participation in the series. When Entertainment Weekly reached out to Lithgow and HBO for comment, they did not immediately reply.
Chris Columbus, the director of Harry Potter, offers his thoughts on the TV adaptation and the casting of Voldemort. Lithgow is 79. The Harry Potter series is anticipated to debut in 2026 and will adapt one of J.K. Rowling’s seven novels per season.
If all goes as planned, that means we’ll get around one season a year, and Lithgow will wrap up in 2033, at the age of 87.
The Implications of John Lithgow’s Dumbledore Casting for the Harry Potter Television Series
With his remark, Lithgow becomes the first confirmed actor for the cast of the Harry Potter television series. Given how silent HBO has been on casting reports so far, it’s likely that he wasn’t supposed to provide this information just yet, but it does illustrate how the series’ production is proceeding behind the scenes.
HBO has confirmed that the episodes will start filming in the summer of 2025 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the United Kingdom, with the project now aiming for a late 2026 or early 2027 release date.
With over 130 film credits to his name and several stage appearances under his belt, Lithgow is a well-known and accomplished actor.
He has received six Emmys for his work on 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, The Crown, and Amazing Stories, and two Oscar nods for his supporting parts in Terms of Endearment and The World According to Garp.
He has recently starred in important supporting parts in films like Pet Sematary, Conclave, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Bombshell.
The forthcoming series has been characterised as a “faithful adaptation” of Rowling’s seven-book series, and its showrunner, writer, and executive producer is Francesca Gardiner (Succession, His Dark Materials, Killing Eve).
Several episodes will be directed and executive-produced by Mark Mylod (Succession, The Last of Us, Game of Thrones).