John Lithgow Nearly Walked Away from the Harry Potter Reboot — Here’s What Changed His Mind
As buzz swells for HBO’s Harry Potter reboot, new Dumbledore John Lithgow reveals he nearly walked away — and the one reason that made him second-guess taking the role.
There is no way around it: the Rowling question hovers over every Harry Potter update. And now the new Dumbledore himself has weighed in — and admitted he almost walked.
John Lithgow nearly walked away from Dumbledore
John Lithgow says he briefly considered quitting HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series because of the backlash tied to J.K. Rowling's views on transgender issues. As he put it,
'In every interview I will ever do for the rest of my life, this will come up.'
He added that he does not share Rowling's views and has never met her. Ultimately, he stayed, pointing to the series' core values as his north star. In his words, the Wizarding World is
'clearly on the side of the angels, against intolerance and bigotry.'
The debate that keeps following the franchise
Rowling remains a polarizing figure. Her public comments on transgender issues have been called transphobic by critics, while supporters describe them as advocacy for biological women's rights. That clash has kept the discourse running hot, prompted some original film cast members to keep their distance from her, and made every new participant in this reboot a potential lightning rod. Lithgow is signing on with eyes wide open.
HBO's stance, on the record
HBO is sticking to a clear separation between the author and the show. CEO Casey Bloys said:
'It's pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She's entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything.'
The network's line is straightforward: the series is not a vessel for Rowling's personal opinions.
Cast, creatives, and when this actually arrives
- John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
- Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
- Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
- Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
- Francesca Gardiner writes and executive-produces
- Mark Mylod is directing multiple episodes
- Premiere window: 2027 on HBO
Plenty of time before wands are raised on screen, but the conversation has already started — and, yes, it is going to keep coming up.