HBO's Harry Potter is still shooting in Cornwall, England, and Dexter star John Lithgow has been spotted in full costume, beard and all, as the Wizarding World's new Professor Albus Dumbledore.
Decked out in dark navy robes, his beard is suitably long, and when you add the glasses to the mix, this version of Dumbledore looks exactly like the version of this character we're sure most of you imagined while reading J.K. Rowling's novels. The question is, what's going on here?
There are no scenes featuring Dumbledore on a beach in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Still, Lithgow was spotted reading from cue cards with Latin—or perhaps a spell—on them, suggesting this will be a key moment in the HBO series.
It's not outside the realm of possibility that scenes are being shot for future seasons, though that would very much be a case of putting the cart before the horse on Harry Potter's part.
Current fan speculation points to Dumbledore perhaps helping Hagrid reach young Harry on the Hut-on-the-Rock, the remote location the Dursleys flee to in a bid to stop all those letters from Hogwarts arriving.
"The overall concept of this entire reboot of Harry Potter is an entire season is devoted to a single novel," Lithgow said of the series earlier this year. "You know, Dumbledore is — he’s kind of the nuclear weapon. He only goes on very, very occasionally. I don’t think it’s gonna be that hard a job, and, we’ll just go back and forth."
He'd later say that the role coming his way "came as a total surprise," explaining, "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 concluded, revealing he'd been delving into Rowling's books for the first time to get better acquainted with the wizard.
Check out a first look at Lithgow's take on Dumbledore in the X posts below.
Dominic McLaughlin has been cast in the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
Joining them will be Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe, and William Nash as Gregory Goyle.
Harry Potter's adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout, Richard Durden as Cuthbert Binns, Bríd Brennan as Madam Poppy Pomfrey, and Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick.
The series will also feature Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, and Leigh Gill as Griphook.
The series is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
Harry Potter premieres on HBO in 2027.