The anticipation for HBO’s episodic adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series reached fever pitch as the first unofficial photos of John Lithgow as Professor Albus Dumbledore emerged from a location shoot in Cornwall.
A Redditor, posting under the username u/i-tiresias, shared the viral snippets, which show Lithgow donning the Headmaster’s iconic long white beard, round glasses, and flowing dark robes, striking a theatrical pose on a rocky beach. Reports from the set suggest Lithgow was actively filming, with the actor seen reading lines from cue cards, some of which reportedly contained Latin phrases.
The Mystery of the Beach Scene
The unique coastal setting has ignited widespread speculation among fans, as Dumbledore is not known to have a significant scene on a beach in the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which the first season is expected to cover.
One curious Redditor commented, “What scene does Dumbledore have on the beach? Only one I can think of is maybe the HBP seaside cave thing, but that’s way later in the series.”
Fan theories suggest the scene could be an original addition to the seven-season series—a “Dumbledore side quest”—possibly depicting him magically clearing the path for Hagrid to reach Harry at the Hut-on-the-Rock, or perhaps an entirely new flashback sequence.
Cast and Controversy
Lithgow joins a high-profile cast for the long-form series, which will explore the Wizarding World in depth across seven seasons. The main cast includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. Previous leaked images have also given fans a look at Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall) and Paapa Essiedu (Severus Snape) are also part of the faculty.
However, the leaked images also reignited the debate surrounding author J.K. Rowling’s controversial public remarks. Some fans expressed conflicting feelings about supporting the new adaptation, with one comment reading, “It’s a shame that my love for John Lithgow could never outweigh my loathing for JKR.”
Despite the mixed reactions, the initial look at Lithgow’s Dumbledore has been largely praised for its visual faithfulness to the character’s description in the books. The HBO series is currently in production and is expected to premiere in 2027.