Shrek star John Lithgow officially set to play Dumbledore in HBO Harry Potter TV series

The highly-anticipated HBO’s Harry Potter series may have finally found its Dumbledore.

HBO is reportedly in the final stages of talks with Shrek star John Lithgow to take on the role of Albus Dumbledore in its upcoming “Harry Potter” reboot.

According to Variety, Lithgow is close to securing the role, though HBO has not officially confirmed the news.

This follows earlier reports from the outlet that Mark Rylance was a top choice for Dumbledore.

An HBO spokesperson said in a statement, “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.”

Lithgow has an extensive career, with roles in The World According to Garp, Terms of Endearment, Footloose, Dexter, and The Crown, among others.

So far, HBO has kept casting under wraps despite reports of progress. 

The network is still searching for actors to play Harry, Hermione, and Ron, while Paapa Essiedu is rumoured to be cast as Severus Snape.

The series is expected to primarily feature British actors, in line with the original films and with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who is said to be “fairly involved” in casting decisions.

Three actors portrayed Dumbledore in the original Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011.

Richard Harris played the headmaster in The Philosopher’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets, but after his passing in 2002, Michael Gambon took over for the rest of the series.

In the Fantastic Beasts prequel films, Jude Law played a younger Dumbledore in The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore.

Announced in April 2023, the Harry Potter series is being described as a “faithful adaptation” of the books.

Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, described the new Max Original series as a deep dive into the beloved books that fans have cherished for years.

 The series is planned to run for 10 straight years, meaning some of the seven books may be split into multiple seasons.

The longest books, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows, are likely candidates for this.

However, Fantastic Beasts will not be included in the series.