Sources close to production have revealed that Mark Rylance is being considered for the role of Dumbledore in the upcoming HBO adaptation of “Harry Potter”.
While the studio is looking to cast newcomers for the main roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron, they aim to fill the adult roles with well-known British actors, much like the original films. The original movies featured a star-studded cast including Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore, Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, and Alan Rickman as Professor Snape.
Bookmark the Dumbledore casting page here.
Finding actors who can commit to the potential seven seasons of the series and are the right age is crucial. Richard Harris, who was 70 when he began filming as Dumbledore, passed away after completing only two films and was later replaced by Michael Gambon. Rylance is currently 64, a year younger than Maggie Smith was when she started filming the “Harry Potter” series.
Richard Harris initially declined the role of Dumbledore three times, eventually accepting after his granddaughter’s persuasion. He reportedly expressed his reluctance to commit to multiple sequels, stating, “Anyone involved has to agree to be in the sequels, all of them, and that’s not how I wanted to spend the last years of my life, so I said no over and over again.”
Rylance, an Academy Award winner for his role in Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies”, has an impressive filmography that includes “Dunkirk”, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”, and “Don’t Look Up”. His television credits include “The Government Inspector” and “Wolf Hall”.
Channing Dungey, the head of Warner Bros. TV, highlighted the series’ potential for depth, stating that it would be “more in-depth that you can in just a two-hour film… that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey”. The series is scheduled to premiere in 2026.