Academy Award winning actor Mark Rylance is the top pick to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series. According to Variety, Rylance isn’t in talks to take on the role just yet. Warner Bros. has simply checked in to see if Rylance would be willing to portray the Hogwarts headmaster for the duration of the series. The outlet did not mention any other actors the studio could be eyeing for Dumbledore. WB is targeting a 2026 window for the Harry Potter show’s release on Max.
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Dumbledore is one of the most prominent supporting characters in the Harry Potter series, playing an integral role in the first six installments. Richard Harris portrayed Dumbledore in the first two films that premiered in the early 2000s. After Harris passed away in 2002, Michael Gambon was cast, appearing as the wise, old wizard in the subsequent movies.
WB is still in the early stages of piecing together the new Harry Potter cast. Earlier this year, the studio put out an open casting call for children aged 9-11 to play the leading roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. So far, there’s been no word on who could portray the various Hogwarts professors such as Snape and McGonagall, but Gary Oldman (who played Sirius Black in the film series) previously said he’d be up to be Dumbledore on the TV show.
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It’s easy to see why WB is interested in getting Rylance onboard. The actor has a lot of qualities befitting of Dumbledore; he could easily deliver a performance encapsulating the headmaster’s demeanor. His dramatic work, highlighted by his Oscar-winning turn in Bridge of Spies, is typically underscored by his calm, soft-spoken nature. Rylance could effortlessly portray a friendly mentor guiding the young students through all of the trials and tribulations at Hogwarts, injecting the character with the right amount of heart. The studio, looking to rebound from the failed Fantastic Beasts series, has a lot riding on this TV show, and snagging someone as talented as Rylance would be a major development.
As captivating as Rylance’s Dumbledore would be to watch, it still remains to be seen whether he’ll sign on. The Harry Potter show will be a sizable commitment to anyone who’s cast. The project was previously described as a “faithful adaptation” of the novels, suggesting it’ll get into greater detail than the movies. The plan is for each season to encompass one of the books. Even though Dumbledore isn’t the main character, Rylance would be quite busy in the Wizarding World for an extended period of time, which could impact his availability to tackle any non-Harry Potter roles he might be interested in.
