John Lithgow in Advanced Talks to Play Dumbledore in the HBO Harry Potter Reboot

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Fans of Harry Potter may have heard an exciting rumor: John Lithgow, a six-time Emmy winner, could be close to signing a deal to portray Professor Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series. According to Deadline, the casting process is being refined. A return to the Wizarding World remains several years off, but this news might have felt like catching a golden snitch for some!

A Groundbreaking Casting for a Character as Iconic as Dumbledore

In fiction literature, there are hardly any role models or mentors as renowned as Professor Dumbledore. Regardless of whether you were captivated by the books or movies, countless individuals worldwide resonate with the wisdom imparted to Harry, his companions, and every student at Hogwarts by this courageous leader.

As a new era of Harry Potter approaches, aiming to captivate a new generation just like it did for us childhood fans, it would be a groundbreaking move if the rumor about John Lithgow playing Dumbledore turns out to be true.

In a unique turn of events, Lithgow is poised to be the first American actor to embody one of the UK’s most enduring characters. Despite this, Lithgow’s extensive acting background makes him well-equipped for roles requiring a British accent, as demonstrated in shows like Harry Potter. In fact, Lithgow has already proven his mettle with his Emmy-winning performance as Winston Churchill on The Crown and even spent time performing on London stages as Roald Dahl.

It’s common for audiences to see numerous British or Australian actors convincingly portray American characters (such as Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield as Spiderman, Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street), but it’s less frequent for American actors to take on roles that typically go to their foreign counterparts.

Nothing is Set in Stone Casting-Wise for the Harry Potter Series

Since the Harry Potter series is still deep into pre-production with a potential release date between late 2026 and early 2027, HBO has chosen not to address the ongoing speculation about John Lithgow as Dumbledore. Given this timeline, fans may need to exercise patience before learning who will portray the famous Hogwarts characters officially. For months now, there’s been much conjecture among fans eagerly suggesting their top choices for the cherished Harry Potter roles. An impressive 32,000 children have submitted audition tapes for the parts of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley alone.

Regardless if it’s John Lithgow as Dumbledore or Cillian Murphy as Voldemort, the actors chosen for this long-running series face immense amounts of pressure due to their roles.

Casey Bloys, who heads HBO and Max Content, has referred to the upcoming series as an in-depth exploration of each of J.K. Rowling’s famous books. The TV medium allows for more extensive development of characters than films could ever manage. Add to that the performances actors will build upon from the movies, and there’s no denying the immense pressure on those who decide to join this project.

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2025-02-13 03:40