John Lithgow Confirms Dumbledore Casting, Pitches 2033 ‘Harry Potter’ Finale Date

HBO’s reboot of the beloved Harry Potter epic was announced in April 2023, initially inspired as collateral for the newly announced Max Original brand, but later promoted to HBO’s primetime, tentpole release slot. Rumored castings of Professor McGonagall, Petunia Dursley, and Professor Quirrell/Voldemort have appeared in the last couple of months, with Janet McTeer, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Cillian Murphy named, respectively.

In July 2024, it was announced that His Dark Materials writer Francesca Gardiner would serve as showrunner for the series, with Mark Mylod (The Menu) tapped to direct episodes of the first season. The two previously worked together on Succession. The writer’s room for the show grew last October, adding Laura Neal, Andy Greenwald, and Josephine Gardiner to the mix.

Who Is Reported To Play Albus Dumbledore?

According to an exclusive from Screenrant, actor John Lithgow confirmed in an interview for his upcoming project, The Rule of Jenny Penn, that he has been officially cast in the role of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Read the quote below:

“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. 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.”

Lithgow inadvertently seems to have also confirmed a production end date of 2033, pushing back at concerns that he may be too old by the end of the series. Previous production calculations estimated the Harry Potter series to end in 10 years, a detail reported on by Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav when announcing the series to the public. Our initial personal calculations, which will be uploaded to this site shortly, currently predict the series to end in 2036. 

Production for the show begins this Summer at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, aiming for a Late 2026 release date. According to reliable leaker DanielRPK, casting for The Golden Trio, which began last September, has been privately finalized and will be announced shortly. 

HBO promises that the show will be a “faithful and book-accurate adaptation” that will take 10 years to complete. Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter producers J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts, and David Heyman will all return to executive produce the series with Gardiner and Mylod.

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