Summary

Harry Potter movie franchise catapulted young actors to fame and received critical acclaim.
Cast featured veteran actors like Gary Oldman who believed he could play Albus Dumbledore.
John Lithgow will play Dumbledore in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, set for 2027.

Harry Potter is undoubtedly one of the most successful franchises in movie history, next to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did it catapult young actors like Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson into the spotlight, kickstarting their long careers in front of the camera, but the iconic movies also received critical and commercial acclaim due to their magically immersive Wizarding World and captivating storytelling.

Starring a huge lineup of veteran stars like Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, and Michael Gambon, Harry Potter was overflowing with incredible talent that brought characters like Molly Weasley, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and Albus Dumbledore to the forefront, which added to the movie's spectacular telling of their relatable struggles and moral complexities amid a world where the eternal battle between good and evil played out. Another of the film's veteran actors, Gary Oldman, has starred in countless TV and movie projects, including Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's Dracula, James Gordon in The Dark Knight Trilogy and Dreyfus in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but his most popular role has been among the Harry Potter fanbase as Sirius Black and now the actor believes that he could have played one specific character in the Harry Potter TV series reboot due to one particular reason, even though it's too late now.

Petunia (Fiona Shaw) and Vernon Dursley (Richard Griffiths) in Harry Potter

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By Aya Tsintziras

Harry Potter’s Gary Oldman Thinks He’s the Right Age Now To Play Albus Dumbledore

In a recent video for Variety, Gary Oldman discussed his long and exciting career, which has spanned over four decades and started in the theater in 1979. The 67-year-old actor also talked about his time in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, recalling joining the film franchise in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Of course, the subject of the upcoming Harry Potter TV series was touched upon, with Oldman stating that he feels like now would have been the right time for him to take on the role of the famous wizard and headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, due to his age. Although Oldman believes that the TV reboot of Harry Potter isn't "gonna go anywhere near people that were connected with the original," he still feels like he would have enjoyed stepping into the boots of the popular character.

“I’m actually very intrigued to see it because so much of the books were cut. I would have fancied a go at Dumbledore. I’m getting up there now … it’s the right age for Dumbledore.”

Oldman, who portrayed Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films, previously confirmed that he hadn’t been approached to join the TV reboot, while also hinting that he would be up for playing Dumbledore months ago. However, even though Oldman was interested in revisiting the magical world once again, it seems as though the series wants to go along an entirely different route this time around. In February this year, it was confirmed that John Lithgow would play Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV show, revealing that it wasn't an easy decision to join the series as it would "define me for the last chapter of my life", however, he was very excited to take on the role.

The Harry Potter TV series is currently slated for release in 2027, after being pushed back from an initial target of late 2026.