The cast for HBO's Harry Potter reboot is coming together, with new reports suggesting John Lithgow is close to finalizing a deal to portray Albus Dumbledore. The series will reboot the story of the seven books with a completely new cast, reports Hindustan Times.
Deadline quoted sources saying John Lithgow, a six-time Emmy-winning actor, 'is in final negotiations to portray Professor Albus Dumbledore in HBO‘s adaptation' of Harry Potter. However, when the publication contacted HBO for a comment on the development, the network refused to confirm or deny it. "We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumour and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals,” the network said in a statement.
The Harry Potter series is being helmed by writer/showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director/executive producer Mark Mylod. The show, which has no launch date yet, is designed to run over a decade. Reports say that each season will likely cover one book, and hence, the show is meant to have seven seasons over a 9-10 year period.
The original Harry Potter books were written by JK Rowling. The first book - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - was released in 1997 and became an international sensation. Six subsequent books followed, selling over 600 million copies worldwide. It is the best-selling book series in history.
Warner Bros adapted the seven books into eight films, which were released from 2001 to 11. The franchise, which earned $7.7 billion at the box office, is the fourth-highest-grossing film series in the world. It turned its lead stars, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, into global stars. Screen legend Richard Harris played Dumbledore in the first two films. After his death, Michael Gambon took over the role for the remaining six films.
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