“Harry Potter” TV Show Considers Mark Rylance for Dumbledore as Expected Premiere Pushed Back Again
HBO and Max CEO Casey Bloys has once again commented on the upcoming Harry Potter TV show, according to Entertainment Weekly, discussing a premiere date later than the one he provided last time and sharing his thoughts on J.K. Rowling’s involvement in the show. We also have our first major contender for a role!
Bloys spoke recently about a range of aspects of the show. The unfortunate news is that the show’s expected release window has once again been pushed back. From the original date of 2026 to Bloys’s previous comment of late 2026 or early 2027, the show is now expected to premiere in early 2027. But Bloys was careful to state, “But don’t hold me to any of that, because we’re just getting started with the writing and casting process,” so more date changes could occur in the future.
In slightly better news, Bloys is convinced that Rowling’s views won’t have much of an impact on the series, and haven’t so far. Rowling is an executive producer on the show, but Bloys stated that her involvement “hasn’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff” despite the fact that she has been “fairly involved” in the selection process for those who have officially signed on so far.
She was very involved in the process of selecting the writer and the director…. We haven’t felt any impact from [her anti-transgender views].
Bloys also confirmed that Rowling will “have opinions on casting.” While the open call for auditions for the golden trio has now closed, rumors are circulating about the next actor to take on the role of Albus Dumbledore.
According to Variety, Mark Rylance, known for his roles as the BFG in The BFG, Sully in Bones and All, and most recently Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light, has been contacted by HBO representatives about the show to gauge his interest. Negotiations have not yet begun, but this is the most substantial adult casting news we’ve had from the show so far.
Of course, many very important roles in the show will go to kids. Fans have been speculating about how the show will keep the child actors looking the right age for the characters and what a shooting schedule for seasons beyond the first might look like. Bloys shared that it was definitely a “consideration” and that the current thought was “shooting the first season and the second season very close to each other” so that the kids don’t grow up too much. Bloys also mentioned a plan to write more scripts ahead of time to make an annual shooting schedule more of a possibility.
What do you think of the small amounts of information Bloys has shared? Do you think Rylance is a good fit for the Hogwarts headmaster?
