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HBO is eyeing a British Oscar-winner to play Dumbledore in their ‘Harry Potter’ series

The casting is not yet official, and negotiations haven't even begun.

By Joe Allen Nov 11, 2024 12:05 PM

Mark Rylance in Dunkirk — Warner Bros.

There have been questions swirling around the Harry Potter TV series ever since it was first announced. The series will adapt the same novels that were already adapted into a hugely popular film franchise, so adapting the same story again struck some as foolhardy. Even so, Warner Bros. is proceeding with the adaptation, and Variety is now reporting that they are eyeing a British legendy for the role of Dumbledore.

The publication is reporting that Mark Rylance, who won an Oscar for Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, is in the mix for the crucial role in the new adaptation. While negotiations aren’t underway yet, Variety is reporting that the studio has reached out to the actor’s representation to gauge interest.

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A rep for 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.”

Dumbledore is one of the most crucial roles in the entire story, and it makes sense that HBO wants to fill out the cast with well-known actors, just as the original film franchise did. Rylance would be a major casting coup, and would signal that HBO is serious about the new adaptation.

Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he was previously played by Richard Curtis and Michael Gambon. Rylance’s whimsical, slightly off-kilter energy would put him much closer to Curtis’s version of the character than Gambon’s, but there’s no guarantee that Rylance will even play the role just yet.

Joe Allen is a freelance writer at Digital Trends, where he covers Movies and TV. He frequently writes streaming… Read Full Bio

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