Veteran actor John Lithgow has confirmed that he will take on the iconic role of Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series. Actors Richard Harris and Michael Gambon previously played the Hogwarts headmaster in the Harry Potter films.
In a YouTube episode of Variety’s “Know Their Lines” series, Lithgow detailed his illustrious career while also opening up about his return as the Trinity Killer in the Dexter sequel, as well as his new take on Dumbledore in the forthcoming Harry Potter series. After admitting that he has a lot of catching up to do with the character, Lithgow explained that he was already diving into the popular books to better understand the headmaster. However, the Oscar-nominated actor also revealed that his take on Dumbledore will likely be the last big role of his career, saying:
“I don’t know the Harry Potter canon by heart as 98% of the world’s population seems to. It was a huge decision because it involves the next several years of my life. And I’m not young. I mean, this is the last big role I’ll probably play.”
John Lithgow Explains How HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series Will Offer Something New
Lithgow revealed that HBO appears to have a plan to make this new Harry Potter series feel new to fans around the world — even though there have already been eight beloved movies made on the same story. During talks with the powers that be at HBO, the actor wanted to know exactly what was going to be different with this series.
Because of his age and the time that this show will take to film, Lithgow didn’t decide to star as Dumbledore in the new Harry Potter series lightly. However, after discussions with HBO, the acclaimed actor was left feeling that they were creating something new with this show. According to Lithgow, there is more to be done with the canon — and that’s what this upcoming series will explore.
Other than Lithgow being added to the cast, not much else is known about this new Harry Potter series. Previously, it was reported that each season of the show would follow one of the Harry Potter books. However, this has seemingly been disproven by Casey Bloys, the Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, who stated that the show would run for 10 consecutive years. Meanwhile, no other cast members have been officially announced, though Paapa Essiedu is near a deal to play Severus Snape, while Janet McTeer is in conversation to play Professor Minerva McGonagall. Bret Goldstein has also been rumored to be playing Hagrid.
The new Harry Potter series will air on HBO and stream on Max. While the show is set to begin filming later this summer, it won’t premiere until 2026. An official premiere date has yet to be announced.
 |
Harry Potter Series |
|---|---|
| Cast | John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore); additional cast TBA |
| Release Date | Expected in 2026 |
| Stream On | Max (formerly HBO Max) |
| Directed by | TBA |
| Produced by | Warner Bros. Television, Max Original Productions |
| Based On | Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling |
| Plot Summary | A faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, exploring the magical world of Hogwarts with a new cast. |
| Musical Elements | Composer TBA; expected to feature elements from John Williams’ iconic score |
| Current Status | In pre-production; scheduled to begin filming in summer 2025 |
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