The world-famous ‘Harry Potter‘ movie series is being adapted into a TV series. The leads—Harry, Hermione, and Ron—are likely to be portrayed by new, young actors. Warner Bros. launched an open casting call for children aged 9-11 this fall.
Mark Rylance is reportedly one of the actors interested in starring in HBO’s new ‘Harry Potter’ adaptation, according to Variety. Rylance is rumored to be under consideration for the role of Dumbledore.
Rylance won an Academy Award for best-supporting actor in 2016 for his work in the Steven Spielberg film ‘Bridge of Spies.’ He also worked with Spielberg on the 2016 animated film ‘The BFG,’ based on the book by Roald Dahl. His other film credits include ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7,’ and ‘Don’t Look Up,’ while his TV roles include shows like ‘The Government Inspector’ and the aforementioned ‘Wolf Hall’
Variety understands that Warner Bros. Television hasn’t yet entered into negotiations with the actor, but the studio has reached out to gauge interest and availability. Representatives for Rylance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An HBO representative told Variety: “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.”
Warner Bros. TV boss Channing Dungey said earlier this year the HBO series, which was first announced in 2023, will be “more in-depth than you can in just a two-hour film… that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey.” It is set to premiere in 2026.
The original films featured Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore, Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, and Alan Rickman as Professor Snape, among others.
