New Harry Potter TV series reportedly in final talks with award-winning actor to play Dumbledore

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. According to reports in multiple US outlets, two-time Emmy winner John Lithgow is reportedly in final talks to play the Hogwarts headmaster in HBO‘s forthcoming Harry Potter series based on JK Rowling’s best-selling books about the Boy Who Lived. open image in gallery John Lithgow is reportedly in final talks to play the Hogwarts headmaster Three actors played Dumbledore in the original run of Harry Potter films between 2001 and 2011. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free The retelling of Rowling’s novels will start shooting this summer in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, where the original films were shot, and the series will debut in late 2026 or early 2027. open image in gallery Nearly 32,000 children have sent audition tapes for the lead roles of Harry, Hermione and Ron, played in the original film franchise by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint The announcement of the series and the casting speculation has been mixed, with The Independent’s Louis Chilton writing that “there have been signs for years that Harry Potter’s spell over the general public may be slowly wearing off”. One thing’s clear, though: those at Warner Bros should think twice before hedging their bets on another decade of Pottermania.” Several actors from the original film franchise have distanced themselves from the forthcoming series, including Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter; Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom; and Jared Harris, son of Richard Harris, who questioned why the project was being made in the first instance.