There have been a few leaks from the various location filming that is underway for HBO’s new live-action Harry Potter adaptations. Hagrid and Mrs Weasley were the big reveals so far. Thanks to some people with very long lenses, we now have our first look at John Lithgow in full Dumbledore get-up.
Spreading across various Potter-obsessed outlets, including the Wizarding World Twitter feed, these images are from the shooting in Cornwall, the UK. They show Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore walking along a beach.
It has been many years since I read the books, but I can only remember one scene with Dumbledore on a beach, and that is from The Half Blood Prince, where some major action takes place next to the sea, close to the climax. Are they mixing up shooting order? Doing something with flashbacks? Getting the action-heavy scenes for Dumbledore out of the way before Lithgow ages too much later into the series?
Who knows?
There has been other shooting in London at Kings Cross station, and in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Previous incarnations of Dumbledore were played across the franchise by Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Jude Law. These adaptations are said to be much more faithful to the books, including the vast detail that Rowling became famous for, but had to be excised from the movie versions in the interests of running time.
Harry Potter will premiere on HBO in 2027.
