It was recently announced that HBO is eyeing John Lithgow to play Albus Dumbledore in its adapt the Harry Potter books into a TV show. Considering how beloved the books and movies are, expectations are high for this new series, especially when it comes to casting. Therefore, the latest revelation about Lithgow has led to a number of varying reactions.
The main reason for making a Harry Potter series is that it will be more accurate to the books. For some, this is a great relief, as many interesting elements of the novels never made it to the big screen. However, this also puts a lot of pressure on HBO to get every detail right. As previously mentioned, casting is a huge part of that, especially since the Harry Potter movie cast has become so iconic. In this way, some may be disappointed by Lithgow being American, yet there's another aspect of the actor that is way more book accurate.
Harry Potter Remake's Potential Dumbledore Actor Is Closer To The Character's Age In The Books
How Lithgow's Age Compares To Dumbledore's
One strength that Lithgow has over other actors being considered for the role of Dumbledore is his age. Previously, actors like Mark Strong and Mark Rylance were in the running for the part, but both men are in their 60s. This is relatively young for Dumbledore, who is characterized as being nearly ancient and white-bearded. Meanwhile, Lithgow is 79. This number is far better for Dumbledore. The original Dumbledore, Richard Harris, was 72 when he took on the role, while Michael Gambon was in his 50s, though he looked much older on-screen.
He is still young enough to keep acting, but is not so young as to be a bad fit for Dumbledore.
Of course, no actor will ever be able to truly parallel Dumbledore's age because, according to the novels, he was more than 100 years old. This is not only rare for regular humans, but it would also be problematic from the perspective of creating a TV show. There will be Harry Potter, and having the same actor portray Dumbledore throughout would be ideal. In this way, Lithgow is a strong compromise. He is still young enough to keep acting, but is not so young as to be a bad fit for Dumbledore.
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Why Harry Potter's Book Accuracy Is Necessary
Beyond Lithgow's casting, it simply makes more sense for Dumbledore's actor to be older rather than younger. The individual's acting abilities are important, and Hollywood makeup can make anyone's appearance look different, but having an authentically older person portray Dumbledore would feel much more genuine. Dumbledore has to have a commanding yet kind presence, and his wisdom comes from his having lived for so long. If Dumbledore were too young, he might not be as believable, or worse, he would have a completely different energy than what Harry Potter lovers expect.
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In the end, Lithgow's potential casting is just another reminder that Harry Potter has to stick to its accuracy plan. The Harry Potter movies were not just successful, but deeply beloved, and making a new adaptation doesn't feel absolutely necessary. Because of this, HBO has to prove that their adaptation deserves to be made, and nitpicking through seemingly arbitrary details like age is part of that process. Hopefully, Lithgow's casting will be just the start of a strong casting process for Harry Potter.
Harry Potter
- Showrunner
- Francisca Gardiner
- Directors
- Mark Mylod
- Writers
- sca Gardiner
- Franchise(s)
- Harry Potter
Cast
Dominic McLaughlinHarry Potter
Janet McTeerMinerva McGonagall
Albus Dumbledore
Nick FrostHagrid
