The two-time Oscar nominee, who has played the likes of Winston Churchill and Roald Dahl before, could become the first confirmed named for the new show.

Hollywood has a not-so-mysterious way of casting who they want for roles in films and television shows with major IPs. There is usually a breadcrumb trail that you can trace back to a few previous projects that will help you understand why a choice was made for a particular actor.

John Lithgow is in talks to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books, Variety has confirmed with sources. In the books, and in the film adaptations, Dumbledore is the caring but mysterious headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.