The Harry Potter TV show's Dumbledore star John Lithgow says it "was not an easy decision" to sign on to the HBO reboot

The Harry Potter TV show has its first bit of confirmed casting news after John Lithgow broke his silence on taking on the role of Albus Dumbledore. There were some rumors the part was initially going to Mark Rylance, but Lithgow has been the main name in contention for the past two weeks.

Now, the Interstellar and Conclave star has opened up about the decision, revealing it was not an easy one to make. "Well, it came as a total surprise to me," he told Screen Rant. "I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid.

"But I'm very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That's why it's been such a hard decision. I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes."

The 79-year-old star is the first to officially comment on their casting in the HBO reboot of the fantasy saga. However, several others have been linked to the show, including Black Mirror star Paapa Essiedu who's been linked to playing Severus Snape. Other rumored names include Cillian Murphy for Voldemort, after the original movie's director said he liked him for the part.

The reboot series is in the works for HBO's streaming service Max and will adapt all seven of J. K. Rowling's novels. For more from HBO, check out our guides to the best shows on Max and the best movies on Max to watch right now.

It is important to note that the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series has been the subject of criticism and debate due to the show's executive producer and author J.K. Rowling's very public and harmful stance on gender identity. It was a similar situation with the Hogwarts Legacy launch. For more, read more about the Hogwarts Legacy controversy.