John Lithgow will play Dumbledore.

American actor John Lithgow has confirmed that he will portray the character of Albus Dumbledore in the new TV adaptation of the Harry Potter story, produced by HBO.

In early February, the media announced that the production had "set its sights" on John Lithgow in search of an actor to play the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and mentor to the main character Harry Potter, and he has now confirmed in an interview with Screen Rant that he has accepted the offer.

This will be the first time in the franchise's history that a character will be played by an actor who is not of British or Irish descent.

"It was a big surprise for me. I just got another offer after the Sundance Film Festival, and this was not an easy decision for me, because it will define the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid," the actor said.

"I'm also very excited. Some wonderful people are giving their attention to Harry Potter again. That's why it was difficult for me to make a decision. I'll be 87 soon, but I said yes," Lithgow boasted.

Through eight films that are adaptations of J.K. Rowling's books and three prequels to "Fantastic Beasts," four actors have portrayed Dumbledore.

Richard Harris starred in “Philosopher’s Stone” and “Chamber of Secrets” before his death, and the Hogwarts Headmaster was played by Michael Gambon in the remaining six “Harry Potter” films. He died in 2023 at the age of 82.

In the two parts of "Deathly Hallows" in the form of flashbacks, Dumbledore is played by Toby Ragbo, and in "Fantastic Beasts", where this character is in middle age, the role was given to Jude Law.

Lithgow, who has won numerous awards, including six Emmys, is best known for his roles in "Dexter", "The Crown", "Killers of the Moon", "3rd Rock From The Sun"...

The news that he has been cast as Dumbledore comes after speculation that Mark Rylance will play the character. This is the only role that has been cast so far, so it is still unknown who will play Harry, Ron, Hermione and the other characters from “Harry Potter.”

However, more information should be available soon, as filming will begin in the summer at Leavesden Studios in Watford, where the films were also shot.

Until then, fans are hoping that the role of the main villain Voldemort will be assigned to Cillian Murphy, but there is also speculation that Ralph Fiennes could play it.

In December, it was revealed that the premiere of the series, which was supposed to run for a full decade, was being pushed back to 2027.

Warner Bros. explained this decision:

"In 2027, you will begin a ten-year journey through the Harry Potter series and we are very excited about it. We are sure that it will be the biggest event when we start the series."

So far, more than 32 children have auditioned, hoping to follow in the footsteps of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Green and Emma Watson, who played the lead roles.