HARRY POTTER: First Look at John Lithgow as Professor Albus Dumbledore in New Set Photos

HBO Harry Potter currently filming in Cornwall, England, and The crown Star John Lithgow was spotted in full costume, beard and all, as the wizarding world’s new Professor Albus Dumbledore.

Dressed in dark navy blue robes, his beard is suitably long, and when you add the glasses to the mix, this version of Dumbledore looks exactly like the version of this character that we’re sure most of you imagined while reading JK Rowling’s novels. The question is: what is going on here?

There is no scene showing Dumbledore standing on a beach in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Lithgow has been seen reading some Latin cards – or maybe a spell – on them, and it looks like he’s casting a spell here.

It is not excluded that scenes will be filmed for future seasons, even if this would quite amount to putting the cart before the horse. Harry Potteris part.

Current fan speculation suggests that Dumbledore may have helped Hagrid reach young Harry at the Cabin on the Rock, the remote location to which the Dursleys flee in an effort to keep all those Hogwarts letters from finding them.

“The general concept of this Harry Potter reboot is that an entire season is devoted to a single novel,” Lithgow spoke about the series earlier this year. “You know, Dumbledore is… he’s kind of the nuke. He only does it very, very occasionally. I don’t think it’s going to be that hard of a job, and we’ll just go back and forth.”

He would later say that the role that belongs to him “It was a total surprise,” explaining, “I just got a phone call at the Sundance Film Festival for another film, and it wasn’t an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the final chapter of my life, I’m afraid. But I’m very excited. Wonderful people are turning their attention to Harry Potter again.”

“That’s why it was such a difficult decision. I’ll be about 87 at the closing party, but I said yes,” Lithgow concluded, revealing that he dove into Rowling’s books for the first time in order to get to know the wizard better.

Get a First Look at HBO’s Lithgow’s Version of Dumbledore Harry Potter in the X posts below (via SFFGazette.com).

Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.

Joining them will be Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley, Leo Earley as the as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe and William Nash as Gregory Goyle.

Harry PotterThe adult cast of includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Louise Brealey as Madame Rolanda Hooch, Paul Whitehouse as by Argus Filch, Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout, Richard Durden as Cuthbert. Binns, Bríd Brennan as Madam Poppy Pomfrey and Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick.

The series will also star Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge and Leigh Gill as Griphook.

The series is written and produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will produce and direct several episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is produced by JK Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, as well as David Heyman of Heyday Films.

Harry Potter premieres on HBO in 2027.