Overview

• New on-set photos shared on social platforms show John Lithgow in full Dumbledore costume—long white beard, flowing robes, and glasses—filming on a beach in Cornwall, England.
• Witnesses and images indicate he referenced cue cards with Latin or spell-like text, prompting fan questions because such a beach moment does not appear in the first novel.
• Production began in July 2025 and has been shooting across multiple U.K. locations, including Cornwall, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire.
• The series has recast the leads with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, with Nick Frost as Hagrid, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu as Snape.
• Showrunner Francesca Gardiner is leading the project with Mark Mylod set to executive produce and direct episodes, and HBO plans one season per J.K. Rowling book with a premiere targeted for 2027.