John Lithgow confirms he will play Dumbledore in Harry Potter

John Lithgow was in talks to play Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV series earlier this month, and the actor has now confirmed it.

Earlier this month it was revealed that John Lithgow was in talks to play Professor Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series. Today, the actor confirmed the news while speaking with ScreenRant.

“Well, it came as a total surprise to me. I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid. But I’m very excited,” Lithgow said. “Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That’s why it’s been such a hard decision. I’ll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I’ve said yes.“

Many other actors have been reported in consideration for the series, but this is as close to an official reveal as we’ve had. HBO has kept largely silent about any casting news, merely repeating the same statement each time: “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.“

As for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, upwards of 32, 000 kids have auditioned for the roles, and the selection process is still ongoing. Succession‘s Francesca Gardiner will serve as a writer and showrunner on the series, while Mark Mylod signed on to executive produce and direct multiple episodes. The project was originally developed for Max but made the leap to HBO (along with a variety of other Max shows) last summer.

Each season of the Harry Potter TV series is said to cover one of J.K. Rowling’s novels, for a total of seven seasons. While the movies were able to fit quite a lot in, there were plenty of moments cut from the novels that the TV series will finally be able to bring to life. Last year, the studio released a statement saying, “Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.” Production is expected to kick off in the summer of 2025.

Now that it’s (mostly) official, how do you feel about John Lithgow playing Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV series?