The Harry Potter television series is already in the midst of production. Our first looks at the highly-anticipated HBO series have been steadily surfacing online, and now the first look at John Lithgow as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter adaptation has come our way.
Lithgow will be the third actor to play the part, albeit in a whole new continuity, whereas Richard Harris and Michael Gambon previously portrayed Dumbledore in the Harry Potter feature films. As fans can see below, however, Lithgow is a perfect successor with a likeness that brings to mind both the feature films and original books.
It’s been an interesting challenge for the new television series to live up to the legacy of the feature films. However, if the images below are any indication, then the cast and crew are certainly doing their best. Here’s our first look at John Lithgow as Dumbledore – a role most recently played by Jude Law in the Fantastic Beasts prequel spin-off films:
I’m speechless. John Lithgow as Dumbledore is already perfect. pic.twitter.com/aAl5LawR6g
— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) October 8, 2025
The biggest concern that fans seem to have is that Lithgow’s Dumbledore is inexplicably pictured on a beach. While it’s unknown why he would be seen in such a setting, especially using the original books as a reference, his appearance does at least suit the character. It’s likely we won’t have context for the beach setting until further into production – or even when the series finally hits airwaves.
In general, fans have expressed concerns about Lithgow being an American actor. The original films notably only cast British actors to portray the iconic literary characters. However, Lithgow has experience portraying British characters, and it’s likely that he’ll succeed in bringing Dumbledore to life – especially with this recent appearance as one small demonstration.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the all-new Harry Potter television series from HBO as we have them. The highly-anticipated series is expected to be released sometime in 2027 – so we’ll likely continue to have more details as we approach that date.