EXCLUSIVE: A beloved actor is poised to play a beloved Harry Potter character. Six-time Emmy winner John Lithgow is in final negotiations to portray Professor Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s high-profile series adaptation of the hugely popular fantasy books, sources tell Deadline. HBO declined to comment, stating, “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation.” The network added, “As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”
The Harry Potter series is designed to run over a decade and comes from writer/showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director/executive producer Mark Mylod. Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, emphasized that the show will be a “faithful adaptation” of J.K. Rowling’s novels, which will “dive deep into each of the iconic books.” Dumbledore, a powerful wizard, serves as the headmaster of the Hogwarts wizarding school and leads the Order of the Phoenix in the battle against the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort.
The character of Dumbledore has previously been brought to life by the late Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in the Harry Potter movie franchise, while Jude Law portrayed a younger version of the character in the Fantastic Beasts prequel films. Although all previous actors were British or Irish, Lithgow, who is American, has successfully played British characters, such as his award-winning portrayal of Winston Churchill on The Crown. He has recently been captivating audiences as Roald Dahl on stage in London.
Filming for the Harry Potter TV series will take place at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, where the original movies were shot. The highly anticipated series is slated to debut on HBO in late 2026 or early 2027. Lithgow is currently on track to become the first actor officially set for this project, which has generated enormous interest. Speculation about casting has been rampant, with names like Paapa Essiedu rumored for Potions Master Snape, and potential casting for Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall including Sharon Horgan and Lesley Manville. Other actors speculated for notable roles include Brett Goldstein as Rubeus Hagrid and even Oscar winner Cillian Murphy as Lord Voldemort, a role previously filled by Ralph Fiennes.
As the casting progresses, a staggering 32,000 kids have submitted audition tapes for the lead roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron, showcasing the immense enthusiasm surrounding the series. Lithgow, a two-time Oscar nominee, continues to be active in other projects as well. He co-stars in the current Oscar contender Conclave, headlines the indie film Jimpa, which just premiered at Sundance, and stars opposite Geoffrey Rush in the upcoming The Rule of Jenny Pen.
On television, Lithgow recently made waves as a series regular on FX’s The Old Man and revisited his Emmy-winning Trinity role on Showtime’s Dexter: New Blood. Additionally, he is involved in narrating a potential Trinity Killer prequel series currently in development. Lithgow is also a two-time Tony winner, having recently wrapped a sold-out run of Giant at London’s Royal Court Theatre, where he played Roald Dahl. The production is set to transfer to the Harold Pinter theatre in the West End.
Currently, Lithgow narrates New York City Ballet’s Carnival of the Animals, a project close to his heart, as he originally wrote the narration in 2003, inspired by his illustrated children’s book of the same name. Lithgow is represented by UTA, Anonymous Content, Hansen Jacobson Teller, and Viewpoint. The casting of John Lithgow as Dumbledore is sure to enchant fans, further raising expectations for this exciting new adaptation of the cherished Harry Potter saga.
