The upcoming HBO Harry Potter series is coming together as a name for Dumbledore has surfaced: Oscar winner Mark Rylance.
Variety first reported the development. Rylance is “at the top of the casting wishlist” for HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series. However, the report notes that Warner Bros Television has not started negotiations with the actor. They have “reached out to gauge interest and availability,” though.
While Rylance's reps did not respond to Variety's request for comment, HBO responded and kept it close to the vest. “We appreciate that such a high profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation,” their response began. “As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”
One potential roadblock is the time commitment to making the series. Variety notes that it will be a challenge to find talent willing to commit to making seven seasons of the series. Richard Harris, who was in his seventies when he took on the Dumbledore role, died after two movies (Michael Gambon later replaced him).
The upcoming Harry Potter series will reportedly bring in “newcomers” to play Harry, Hermione, and Ron, who were previously played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, respectively. But Warner Bros Television is probably hoping to fill the adult cast with “some of the U.K.'s best-known actors.”
Who is Oscar winner Mark Rylance?
Even if he does not take on Dumbledore in the HBO Harry Potter series, Mark Rylance is an Oscar-winning actor in his own right. He gained notoriety for his roles in West End productions like Much Ado About Nothing and Jerusalem.
Rylance made his debut on the big screen in 1987, starring in Hearts of Fire. He has since starred in the likes of Blitz, Days and Nights, Bridge of Spies, The BFG, Dunkirk, Ready Player One, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Don't Look Up, and The Outfit.
Recently, Rylance started in Bones and All. Luca Guadagnino's movie is an adaptation of Camille DeAngelis' 2015 novel of the same name. Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Russell, and Michael Stuhlbarg also starred in it.
The upcoming Harry Potter HBO series
HBO's new Harry Potter series is a new adaptation of J.K. Rowling's novels. The series will come over a decade after the movie adaptations ended with Deathly Hallows Part 2.
After the first slew of adaptations ended, a spin-off prequel series started in 2016 with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Two sequels, The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore, followed in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
Now, HBO will launch a reboot that will adapt all seven of Rowling's novels. Each season will presumably adapt a different book akin to Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Warner Bros' television CEO, Channing Dungey, recently teased the series. “It's an unbelievable dream, honestly, and as somebody who is a huge fan of books, the opportunity to get to explore them in maybe a little bit more in-depth than you can in just a two-hour film, that's the whole reason we're on this journey,” said Dungey.
Follow Us
Subscribe
