Jared Harris, son of the original Dumbledore actor Richard Harris, politely declined when asked if he would ever consider following in his father's footsteps by portraying the beloved Hogwarts headmaster in Max's TV reboot of the Harry Potter films. In fact, he's not convinced that the remake should happen at all.
And frankly, neither are fans. The show is arriving over a decade after the release of the last Harry Potter film, leaving Potterheads with a plethora of questions regarding how this production will differentiate itself from the film series and who will be cast in the iconic lead roles.
Who will play Dumbledore?
It's open season for casting of the upcoming series, which will highlight the original characters played by all-new actors. HBO put out a casting call in the U.K. And Ireland at the start of September 2024, specifically searching for child actors who can take on the mantle of the series' iconic trio — Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
But it will be a lofty feat for casting directors to fill the role of Albus Dumbledore, which was originated on screen by the late Richard Harris for the first two Harry Potter films before his death in October 2002. For the remainder of the film series, the role was portrayed by Michael Gambon, who died in September 2023. In an interview with the Independent, fellow actor Jared Harris said "No, thank you" when asked if he would ever play the same character as his father.
One actor who has expressed interest in the role is Gary Oldman, who played Sirius Black in the original films. Oldman was partially joking when he made the comment, saying "Maybe in a few years I could do Dumbledore," but the actor has since made headlines for hinting that he would be willing to revisit the Wizarding World in a new capacity.
What other concerns are shrouding this remake in uncertainty?
Jared Harris, best known for his recurring roles on Mad Men and Chernobyl, also had a hot take on the series being made in general: "I mean, why do it? I don’t understand," he continued in his interview. "The films were fantastic – leave them alone.” The sentiment is one that has been similarly shared online by fans of the original film series, who are divided over the continued expansion of the Harry Potter universe under Rowling's watchful eye.
The author has become a subject of controversy following allegations of transphobic comments, though she remains an executive producer on the upcoming TV series. The Harry Potter films have also been heavily scrutinized in recent years for their lack of racial diversity, which the upcoming show aims to rectify by emphasizing inclusive casting that is open to people of all backgrounds. Even so, many fans are skeptical that the positive step is all too late, and at best, a shoddy attempt to compensate for the negative attention that Rowling has brought to the franchise.
Some Potterheads are also concerned that the reboot will fail to live up to the high bar set by the original films, which achieved box-office breaking status. The Fantastic Beasts series is a cautionary example: the spin-off series was a haphazard attempt to immerse viewers back into the Wizarding World. Despite the success of the first film in the spin-off series, which totaled around $814 million in ticket sales, its sequels fell incredibly short. The third entry in the series made about half as much in sales as the first film, making the likelihood of a fourth movie increasingly unlikely.
The upcoming TV series is committed to a ten-year run, leaving room for the assumption that each of the seven original novels will get its own season. No details have been revealed as to how that will be handled, but fans have spoken out with additional concerns about pinning a new group of child actors on to such a long-running project. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) were vocal in the 2022 Harry Potter Reunion Special about how growing up with the series was simultaneously gratifying and difficult as young actors who were transformed overnight into celebrities.
What could the 'Harry Potter' TV series get right that the films missed?
In spite of his own qualms with the TV reboot, Jared Harris conceded there's "a lot of storytelling" left out from the original films that hopefully the new series can tackle. The creative team behind the project seems to think so too, considering Warner Bros. Discovery put out a press release labeling the show as "a faithful adaptation" of the original books.
Characters like the poltergeist Peeves, who wreaks havoc through the halls of Hogwarts, and Triwizard Tournament organizer Ludo Bagman are just two of many characters left on the cutting room floor when the books were translated to film. With hours of more content available to explore minor plot points, it's possible that these characters could finally get the screen time they deserve.
Even Radcliffe agrees there's room for improvement with the new show, specifically with the adaptation of the "Deathly Hallows," which he describes as his "favorite of the books and of the films." The Battle of Hogwarts, in particular, has the potential to be a far more pivotal plot point in the Max show that does justice to the bloody conclusion of the seven-part book series à la Game of Thrones.
The Harry Potter TV reboot is expected to premiere on Max sometime in late 2026.
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