Yes, the Harry Potter HBO TV Series Will Include Scenes Not From the Original Books — and John Lithgow Has Now Been Spotted in Costume as Dumbledore

Harry Potter fans person gained their archetypal glimpse of John Lithgow arsenic Dumbledore, via a mysterious acceptable of photos showing the long-bearded wizard connected a beach.

Lithgow volition play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore successful HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series, which volition debut its archetypal play successful 2027. This week, the histrion was spotted connected a formation successful Cornwall, successful costume for the archetypal time.

But the quality has raised caller questions for Potter fans, not slightest due to the fact that the photos look to amusement Dumbledore successful a caller country not recovered successful Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone — the archetypal caller successful the bid which the TV amusement is presently turning into its archetypal season.

According to the Daily Mail, Lithgow was seen by fans walking successful the sea, past holding his wrist and looking successful pain. Images besides amusement ample cue cards with italic words, including the operation "Murus cadat, via pateat." IGN has translated this to: "Let the partition fall, fto the mode beryllium clear."

Potter fans volition cognize of a celebrated series with Dumbledore entering a beachside cave, arsenic helium and a teenage Harry hunt Horcruxes. But this doesn't instrumentality spot until Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, the series' penultimate novel, and there's nary crushed the bid would skip up to movie this now, alternatively than successful 5 years' time. Dumbledore besides doesn't talk this operation astatine immoderate point. So what's going connected here?

Fans person a fewer theories, including the proposition this country is acceptable during the constituent wherever Dumbledore is lured distant from Hogwarts truthful Voldemort tin technologist a infinitesimal to effort and bargain the Sorcerer's/Philospher's Stone. In the book, Dumbledore simply vanishes off-screen for respective chapters — possibly the TV bid volition present chronicle wherever helium goes?

I’m speechless. John Lithgow arsenic Dumbledore is already perfect. pic.twitter.com/aAl5LawR6g

— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) October 8, 2025

In the book, Dumbledore says he's summoned to London by the Ministry of Magic, though it's ne'er stated precisely what he's told to marque him permission truthful urgently, oregon precisely wherever helium ends up. While Dumbledore is intelligibly not successful London portion astatine the beach, could the TV amusement tweak this plotline to person him fixed a mendacious pb connected Voldemort's location, with the formation a clever tie-in to the hidden cave seen aboriginal successful the series?

Another, perchance much straightforward, mentation is that this series is tied to caller scenes showing 1 of Dumbledore's visits to Nicholas Flamel, the headmaster's person and proprietor of the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone. Flamel is simply a quality who remains off-screen during the archetypal Harry Potter books and movies, but who Dumbledore repeatedly discusses going to see.

Fans deliberation Dumbledore's formation series could beryllium revealing wherever the Stone was kept by Flamel anterior to its determination to Hogwarts, and indeed, Lithgow was besides spotted this week connected location, filming scenes with Flamel.

— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) October 9, 2025

Regardless of what this series ends up being, it's a uncover for fans not conscionable of Lithgow himself, but of the information the Harry Potter TV amusement volition see never-before-seen moments from the wide saga, with other country for these owed to its quality to dispersed each novel's events implicit a afloat TV season.

Last month, reports revealed the level of secrecy demanded by Warner Bros. successful bid to support the series' accumulation secrets nether wraps. The Harry Potter TV bid is presently utilizing accumulation codenames, disappearing substance messages and has deployed a mobile telephone prohibition portion actors and unit are connected set.

Lithgow's casting arsenic Albus Dumbledore was announced by the histrion earlier this year, followed by connection that Nick Frost volition play Hagrid, Paapa Essidu is Severus Snape, portion Katherine Parkinson is Molly Weasley.

Image credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social