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Conclave actor John Lithgow recently confirmed in an exclusive interview with ScreenRant that he will be playing the character of Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV show. On February 25, while talking about the series, Lithgow acknowledged that the enormous time commitment at this point in his career made the decision a bit difficult for him.
Talking about the same, he further said:
“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…”
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Once the news was uploaded on X by @DiscussingFilm on February 26, it garnered mixed reactions from the netizens. While some expressed satisfaction due to the casting, others expressed their cynicism.
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One even said they reportedly don’t like the idea of non-British people starring in the series, as the original movie series had all the British actors.
“I’ll give it a chance but I don’t like the idea of non-British people starring in it,” wrote one X user.
Others also expressed their disappointment over it as one said that they were having a hard time picturing John Lithgow as Dumbledore, while another one said that they didn’t want this.
“Is he English?” one asked.
“Having a hard time picturing him as Dumbledore but I’ll wait and judge after I see his performance,” another one said, hinting at the works of Michael Gambon and Richard Harris, who played the character in the original movies.
“I'm not a Harry Potter fan and I don't want this,” another X user commented.
On the other hand, many people supported the casting of John Lithgow as one said that very few people are as funny as him, while another one said that Lithgow could portray himself as British, with British accents.
“Good casting. Very few people can pull off being as funny as him, and at the same time, playing some real nasty characters,” one user wrote.
“If you’re hesitant because Lithgow isn’t British, just you wait. It’s John Lithgow. He disappears into anything…,” another X user stated.
“I saw a clip of him doing a British accent okay, I'll wait and see,” one said.
John Lithgow is set to portray Dumbledore in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series
Recently, actor John Lithgow revealed that he will play Albus Dumbledore in HBO's Harry Potter series. ScreenRant claimed on February 25 that Lithgow might be close to signing a contract to play Dumbledore.
For context, late actors Michael Gambon and Richard Harris played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series. Jude Law portrayed the character at a younger age in the prequel Fantastic Beasts movies.
Lithgow's role is expected to be a multi-year commitment, as HBO stated on April 12, 2023, that the new Harry Potter series will be a "faithful adaptation of the iconic books."
Now, in an interview with ScreenRant, to promote his new project, The Rule of Jenny Penn, John Lithgow confirmed his casting as the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Talking about the same, he continued:
“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.”
Nevertheless, he refrained from disclosing any information regarding the series or the casting. However, despite Lithgow's claims, ScreenRant noted in the same story that his contract to star in the television series has not yet been formally confirmed.
About Lithgow’s comments, when asked for an update, HBO said:
“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…”
Meanwhile, HBO hasn’t said anything about other cast members of the series either.
