John Lithgow in Talks to Play Dumbledore in HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series
- HBO is in talks with John Lithgow to play Albus Dumbledore in its Harry Potter series, while Paapa Essiedu is in discussions to play Professor Severus Snape.
HBO is zeroing in on a key castmember for its Harry Potter series.
The premium cabler is in talks with John Lithgow to play Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. News of Lithgow's potential involvement follows THR 's reporting that British actor Paapa Essiedu ( I May Destroy You ) is in discussions to play Professor Severus Snape.
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HBO declined to comment.
The Harry Potter show is described as a "faithful" adaptation of author J.K. Rowling's seven-book series chronicling the young wizard's years at Hogwarts and his eventual faceoff with the evil Lord Voldemort. Warner Bros. Television Group chairman and CEO Channing Dungey said in November that "as somebody who is a huge fan of books, the opportunity to get to explore them in maybe a little bit more in-depth than you can in just a two-hour film, that's the whole reason we're on this journey."
Should Lithgow be cast as Dumbledore, it would be a break from the Harry Potter film series, which employed British actors almost exclusively. Richard Harris played Dumbledore in the first two movies, and Michael Gambon took over the role after Harris died in 2002.
Lithgow is a two-time Emmy winner, most recently in 2017 for playing Winston Churchill on The Crown . He stars in current best picture nominee Conclave and in the Sundance entrant Jimpa , opposite Olivia Colman. His TV work includes FX's The Old Man , HBO's Perry Mason and Showtime's Dexter , for which he also won an Emmy. Lithgow is repped by UTA, Anonymous Content, Hansen Jacobson and Viewpoint.
Francesca Gardiner is the showrunner for the Harry Potter series, and Mark Mylod is set to direct multiple episodes. They executive produce with Rowling and her Bronté Film and TV partners Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts, and David Heyman, who produced the movie franchise. The series is targeted for a late 2026 or early 2027 premiere.
Deadline first reported the news.
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