First Look at John Lithgow’s Dumbledore in HBO’s HARRY POTTER Series in Set Photos
The Harry Potter reboot from HBO is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about fantasy projects in development, and now we finally have our first real look at John Lithgow stepping into the legendary role of Albus Dumbledore.
The new set photos give fans a glimpse of the Hogwarts headmaster like never before, and it’s clear the creative team is putting serious effort into capturing the essence of J.K. Rowling’s world while adding something fresh to it.
The upcoming Harry Potter TV series on HBO Max is designed to be a more faithful adaptation of the original novels. While we still don’t know how well it will deliver on that promise narratively, it’s already clear that the visual direction is staying true to the Wizarding World’s iconic look.
The Hogwarts Express, the robes, the castle, all of it echoes the beloved imagery from the films while giving everything a slightly new texture and tone.
On X, the account Wizarding World Direct shared photos of Lithgow in costume, filming scenes on a windswept beach. He’s seen wearing flowing wizard robes and Dumbledore’s signature long white beard.
Since the first season is expected to cover Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, this beach sequence doesn’t line up with anything from the book. Could the series be adding entirely new material to flesh out the story?
It seems likely as one of the shorter books, Sorcerer’s Stone doesn’t have quite enough content for a full season of television without some creative expansion.
We already know the adaptation will include moments cut from the original film like Vernon Dursley’s bizarre encounter with a wizard on the street, but new scenes like this could help fill in the world even more.
Interestingly, this mysterious beach might also serve as an early nod to a later storyline. Fans will remember the eerie cave from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where Dumbledore and Harry retrieve one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes.
That scene isn’t part of the first book, but the showrunners may be setting the stage early, showing Dumbledore investigating traces of Voldemort’s past. Considering that Tom Riddle visited a seaside cave as a child, it’s easy to imagine this version of Dumbledore exploring that location for clues about the Dark Lord’s early experiments with dark magic.
There’s been plenty of debate about HBO’s Harry Potter especially around how much it will resemble or diverge from the Warner Bros. films. Even Chris Columbus, who directed the first two movies, has commented on how the new adaptation should find its own voice.
These photos suggest the show is doing just that. While the visuals remain faithful, the storytelling seems willing to branch out and expand the mythology in new directions.
Regardless, seeing Lithgow embody Dumbledore with his trademark warmth and gravitas? I’m looking forward to that performance.