John Lithgow

is one of Hollywood’s great actors, with plenty of awards nominations to prove it, but that hasn’t stopped some Harry Potter

fans being up in arms over the casting of the American in the role of Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming reworking of the saga of the boy wizard and his magical adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Taking on the role of Dumbledore, who has previously been portrayed by Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Jude Law, is a daunting task at best, and while Lithgow admitted that in an appearance on BBC’s The One Show, he has some food for thought for those who have issues with him not being English.

“I will be following the great Michael Gambon. I’m not an Englishman, although I’ve played one on TV. I remind everyone that I did play Winston Churchill on The Crown and did just fine. But yes, I mean, it’s an enormous thrill. But I know there were plenty of people appalled that an American should be hired to play the ultimate English wizard. But, I will do my best.”

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‘Harry Potter’ Casting Announcements Have Begun

Rogue Pictures

Rumors of who may or may not be part of the new iteration of the Harry Potter story have been circling social media channels for months, with multiple names being rumored to “be in talks” at one point or another. When news came of Lithgow’s casting as Albus Dumbledore – seemingly the second choice for the role behind Mark Rylance who had to turn down the role for personal reasons – the actor himself confirmed that he would be taking on the role of the Hogwarts headmaster in interviews long before HBO finally made it official with several other castings.
While HBO heads have recently refused to make much comment on the consistent suggestion that Cillian Murphy is top of the pile to play the dark wizard Voldemort, others who have been confirmed to be appearing alongside Lithgow are Ozark’s Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, and Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell.
Of course, there are still many more names to be added to the cast list, not least the young actors who will have the incredibly difficult task of carrying the Harry Potter series through its multiple-season plan and following in the footsteps of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. While it is possible that the three actors selected for the lead roles will have been seen in other productions, it is expected that, just like the original three stars to play the roles of Harry, Herminone, and Ron, they will not be anywhere near as famous at the beginning of the production as they are at the end.
Expect to see much more about the additional cast members as they are added to the roster of top British (and other) talent that will undoubtedly have one of the hardest and most scrutinized jobs in the industry as they attempt to negate the ongoing controversy around Potter creator J.K. Rowling and comparisons to the eight movies that are still beloved by audiences worldwide.
Source: The One Show

Harry Potter

Showrunner

Francisca Gardiner

Directors

Mark Mylod