The Harry Potter franchise is expanding to include a new television series based on J.K. Rowling’s iconic books. The series will retell the events of the books following the original feature film adaptations that ran from 2001 to 2011. Now actor John Lithgow is reportedly being eyed to play Dumbledore in the new Harry Potter series.
Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, is a major figure in the Harry Potter mythos. As such, seeing who HBO casts as the character will be monumental in shaping this new television adaptation. The character was previously played by late Irish actors Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, and Jude Law as a young Dumbledore for the Fantastic Beasts spin-offs.
As of this writing, the deal for John Lithgow to portray Dumbledore has yet to be finalized. This was confirmed via Deadline, who not only reported that Lithgow is being eyed for the role, but that HBO will only comment on these deals once they are finalized. Nevertheless, if these talks are accurate, then we should have a confirmation in the near future.
Other actors for HBO’s Harry Potter series have reportedly been discussed, but at this time, none of them have been confirmed. John Lithgow’s participation could be the first formal announcement made regarding the show’s cast. If so, we could have many other details in the near future.
The original Harry Potter movies were notorious for casting non-American actors. If Lithgow is chosen, then it would break this rule for the franchise. While the actor has proven capable of speaking with a British accent, the previous actors for Dumbledore were genuinely Irish or British. It certainly would confirm that this TV series is marking a new era for the Harry Potter brand moving forward.
The Harry Potter TV series is currently expected to premiere on HBO in late 2026 or early 2027. We’ll likely have more details regarding the show as we approach these potential release dates. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional news as we have it.