As Warner Bros. and HBO embark on a global search for its young trio of leads in the upcoming Harry Potter television series, Variety has revealed that Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, Wolf Hall) has emerged as a top contender for the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
According to the trade, Rylance is yet to enter negotiations but WB Television has reportedly reached out to his reps to gauge his interest in portraying the character previously played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in Warner’s feature film adaptation of the book series (as well as Jude Law, who plays a younger version of the character in the two Fantastic Beasts movies).
The Harry Potter series is intended to run for seven seasons, each corresponding to one of J.K. Rowling’s books. Francesca Gardiner (Succession, His Dark Materials, Killing Eve) is set to serve as showrunner with Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones, The Last of Us) directing multiple episodes as well as executive producing alongside Rowling and David Heyman of Heyday Films, the company behind the films.
What are your thoughts on Mark Rylance as Professor Dumbledore? Are there any other actors out there who you think would be a fit for the beloved wizard? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
