HBO’s Harry Potter may have found its Albus Dumbledore. No official casting has been confirmed yet for the upcoming adaptation of the Harry Potter books, although the search for the new Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger began with an open casting call earlier in the fall. His Dark Materials and Succession‘s Francesca Gardiner is the showrunner of HBO’s Harry Potter show, while Game of Thrones and The Menu‘s Mark Mylod will direct several episodes.
According to Variety, HBO is eyeing Mark Rylance to play Dumbledore. Negotiations between the studio and Rylance have reportedly not begun to take place yet, although they have begun to reach out to Rylance about the potential role. Rylance is an acclaimed actor who won an Academy Award for his performance in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and also has an exemplary stage career, which includes winning three Tony Awards. He has also played important roles in Adam McKay’s satirical comedy Don’t Look Up and Spielberg’s adaptation of the science-fiction novel Ready Player One.
What This Means For The Harry Potter Show
Casting Is Underway, But No Roles Are Confirmed Yet
Since negotiations with Rylance reportedly have not taken place yet, and its unknown whether he is interested in the role, Rylance being the new Dumbledore is far from finalized. While Harry, Ron, and Hermione will likely be played by unknown actors, it is not surprising that HBO is looking for acclaimed British actors like Rylance to play the adult roles. This is the same approach used for the Harry Potter movies’ cast, as Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were newcomers, while the likes of Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, and Alan Rickman were cast to play the adult characters.
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HBO pursuing Rylance will inevitably be the first of many casting updates in the coming months as the Harry Potter remake builds its cast. With the younger actors likely not being well-known, it will be the addition of esteemed stars like Rylance that will help generate the most excitement. His involvement, along with that of other impressive actors, will help assuage skepticism about the Harry Potter show not simply retreading what the books and movies have already done.
Our Take On Mark Rylance Potentially Playing Albus Dumbledore
Mark Rylance Would Make A Good Dumbledore
If casting Rylance pans out, it will be a major step forward for the Harry Potter series. Rylance brings a sense of gravitas to the stage and the screen, but as seen with his portrayals of James Halliday in Ready Player One and Peter Isherwell in Don’t Look Up, he can also be eccentric, which is an important trait that Dumbledore possesses. It will be difficult to see anyone other than Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, but Rylance would be an excellent choice for the upcoming Harry Potter adaptation.
Source: Variety
Harry Potter is HBO’s remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling’s popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did. Upon the announcement of the Harry Potter TV show, the series received harsh criticism for the involvement of Rowling and for many thinking a reboot was unnecessary.
- Seasons
- 1
- Directors
- Mark Mylod
- Showrunner
- Francisca Gardiner
- Main Genre
- Adventure