Mark Rylance is at the top of the casting wishlist for the new HBO “Harry Potter” adaptation, Variety has learned from sources familiar with the project.
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.
A rep for HBO told Variety: “We appreciate that such a high profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation.
The original films starred, among others, Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore, Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall and Alan Rickman as Professor Snape.
Harris was 70 when he took on the role of Dumbledore and died two years later, having completed only the first two films.
Variety has learned from people with knowledge of the project that Mark Rylance is at the top of the casting wishlist for the upcoming HBO adaptation of “Harry Potter.”.
Based on Hilary Mantel’s novel, Rylance is reportedly in the running for Dumbledore. Rylance is currently playing Thomas Cromwell in the eagerly awaited BBC period drama “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.”.
Variety is aware that Warner Bros. The actor and television have not yet begun negotiations, but the studio has contacted the actor to inquire about availability and interest.
A request for comment was not immediately answered by Rylance representatives. “We appreciate that such a high profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation,” an HBO representative told Variety. We won’t confirm specifics until we close deals as we move through pre-production. “”.
Ron, Hermione, and Harry, the show’s protagonists, will probably be new Warner Bros. It should come as no surprise that WBD is hoping to include some of the U.S. in the adult cast, just like the original feature film adaptations, after announcing an open casting call for children ages 9 to 11 earlier this fall. K. . most well-known actors.
Among those who starred in the original movies were Alan Rickman as Professor Snape, Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, and Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore.
Finding talent who are both willing and of the right age to commit to a possible seven seasons (one for each book) will be one of the challenges. After playing Dumbledore for just the first two movies, Harris passed away two years after assuming the role at the age of 70. He was replaced for the rest of the series by Michael Gambon.
Smith was one year older when she started filming the movies than Rylance, who is 64.
Before being convinced by his young granddaughter, Harris initially declined the position of headmaster of Hogwarts three times, the Guardian reported. “All I knew was that each time they called, they kept offering me the role and increasing the pay. According to reports, Harris stated, “I kept turning it down.”. Everyone involved must consent to appear in all of the sequels, and I repeatedly refused because I didn’t want to spend my final years in that manner. “.”.
A 2016 Academy Award winner for best supporting actor, Rylance starred in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. In 2016, Spielberg collaborated with him on the animated movie “The BFG,” which was adapted from Roald Dahl’s novel. In addition to his TV roles in series like “The Government Inspector” and the previously mentioned “Wolf Hall,” he has acting credits in the films Dunkirk, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Don’t Look Up. “”.
Peikoff Mahan, Hamilton Hodell, and CAA are his representatives.
Warner Bros. Earlier this year, TV boss Channing Dungey stated that the HBO series, initially revealed in 2023, will be “more in-depth that you can in just a two-hour film… that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey.”. The premiere is scheduled for 2026.
