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Harry Potter fans have had a lot to deal with over the past few years, from an acclaimed Tony Award-winning Broadway play to the continued online diatribes of its once-beloved creator, but the broomsticks of progress keep on flying.
Up next, a Harry Potter TV adaption for HBO’s Max streaming service, and while franchise regular Gary Oldman may be interested in portraying Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the son of the original actor would rather pass.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty; everett
“No thank you,” Jared Harris responded when asked by The Independent if he would want to portray Dumbledore in the TV reboot as his father Richard Harris had done in the first two films. The elder Harris died in 2002 and Michael Gambon played the wizard in the remaining six films.
“I mean, why do it? I don’t understand,” Harris continued. “The films were fantastic — leave them alone.”
Harris — known for his work on Mad Men, The Crown, and Chernobyl — did, however, concede that there was “a lot of storytelling” from the books left out of the films that the TV series can further explore.
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From showrunner, writer, and executive producer Francesca Gardiner (Succession, His Dark Materials, Killing Eve), the upcoming Harry Potter series has been billed as a “faithful adaptation” of the book series by J.K. Rowling, who has also been tapped to executive produce.
The series is expected to run for seven seasons, adapting each book from the franchise, and targeted for a 2026 release. Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones, The Last of Us) will also executive produce and direct multiple episodes.
While Jared Harris would be the logical choice to reprise his father’s role, Jude Law played a middle-aged Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts film franchise. Then there’s Oldman, who previously said he thought his work on the original Harry Potter films was “mediocre.”
Oldman seems ready to redeem himself as the aged Hogwarts headmaster … eventually. “Maybe in a few years, I could do Dumbledore,” the Slow Horses lead actor Emmy nominee told IndieWire.
