Casting for HBO’s long-awaited Harry Potter series is underway, and they reportedly found a perfect person to play the headmaster of Hogwarts. According to several reliable sources, the six-time Emmy winner John Lithgow is in final talks to play Albus Dumbledore.
Lithgow is fresh off starring in the Oscar-nominated film Conclave, and his list of credits is pretty impressive. In addition to winning six Emmy Awards, most recently for his supporting turn as Winston Churchill in The Crown, he also won two Golden Globes and received two Oscar nominations.
According to several reports, John Lithgow is in final negotiations to play Albus Dumbledore, but HBO is yet to make things official. They released a statement saying, “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”
No actors are currently attached to this project, but there’s been a lot of casting rumors flying around. Before Lithgow’s potential casting made the headlines, Oscar-winner Mark Rylance was reportedly the top casting choice for Dumbledore, while Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) was eying the role of Severus Snape.
As for the leading trio, Warner Bros. launched an open casting back in late 2024, so they’ll most likely be played by newcomers. Francesca Gardiner will be credited as a showrunner of this series, which has been described as “a faithful adaptation” that will feature a new cast and lead a new generation of fandom.
