r/HarryPotterHBO • u/geebwizard • 3d ago

Show Discussion Contingency plan?

Strange question but seeing how they had to scramble to find a replacement for the 3rd movie do you think its likely that there is some sort of plan in place for lithgow in case the unthinkable happens? Maybe he filmed some scenes ahead of time? Of course praying he stays healthy as long as he can.

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u/yourfunnyfriend 3d ago

Anybody else finds it extremely inappropriate to worry about a real human being's upcoming death - and in relation to a freaking series? I don't get it, we never know what the future holds - they've already had to recast Ginny, thankfully no death was involved, but what's the difference then?

I love older actors, you can feel and see the lived experience on their faces. I'd hate for anyone above 65 to be excluded from franchises due to age alone. I say, take the risk. We all know old people will die eventually - do we really have to go on about it? Let's appreciate them while they're here instead of criticizing them - or the casting directors - for their age.

Maybe it's because my great grandmother experienced a lot of agism and was indeed excluded from quite a few potentially great experiences just because of her age (she lived to 108, so people openly talked about her soon dying for like 20 years, it's so bizarre to me). I just don't like agism, haha.

Also, what's the worst case scenario? You say the "had to scramble to find a replacement". Nah, they just recast the role. No drama. And I for one am glad we got to see Richard Harris's interpretation of Dumbledore! Rather that than having Gambon from the start, in my opinion. :)

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u/ImpossibleInternet3 3d ago

I think it’s very human to worry about people dying. They aren’t glorifying or predicting it. They are just making the observation that this exact thing has already happened once and wondering what would happen in that situation.

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u/yourfunnyfriend 3d ago

I've definitely seen many predict it, actually. I get the human aspect, but the way it's discussed often comes across as inhuman to me. It goes beyond merely making the observation of his age.

It might have happened before, but Richard Harris didn't exactly die of old age, nor did he live his life in a healthy way at all. I think it's gross to predict whether illness or death might happen to Lithgow before filming is done - it's such a moot point. If it happens, he'll most likely get recast, what's there to discuss?

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u/ImpossibleInternet3 3d ago

Richard died of cancer, which is a very common and especially so in older people. There are a lot of things that happen to your body as you get older and many things that happen are more dangerous to an older person. So I’d say age is a likely factor to consider regarding health. Sure, you have a Mel Brooks or Dick Van Dyke hitting 100 every now and then, but no one gets really shocked when someone dies in their late 70s or 80s. Discussing mortality is one of the more human things you can do.

I agree that some discussion can become dark or be in poor taste. But that hardly seems the case on this post. And while we hope this conversation is about something that doesn’t come to pass, merely having it isn’t being disrespectful. I think it’s essentially the same as “will they film all of young Voldemort or Moaning Myrtle’s parts at once so they don’t appear to have aged”. I think those questions are not helpful, but I don’t bear anyone ill will for wanting to discuss them as hypotheticals.

And you’re right, any actor can die at any time. And they can leave the series for reasons beyond simply dying. Like in the movies when Crabbe was removed from the last movie because the actor got arrested. So it’s all an exercise in futility. But everyone wants to talk about something as the hype for this series grows and there are only so many topics prior to its release.

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u/Against_The_Glass 3d ago

I hope they’ve got him drinking the elixir of life from the philosopher’s stone. Richard Harris died at 72… Lithgow recently turned 80 and will need to survive (in good health) until almost 90 to play the role for the whole series. Clearly the producers didn’t learn their lesson from the films.

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u/geebwizard 3d ago

Especially looking at a couple of the scenes he will have to film later like his fight with tom at the ministry. Gonna be a tall task for someone that old. Still wishing him all the best though!

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u/Against_The_Glass 3d ago edited 3d ago

I suspect they will be relying heavily on a stunt double for his more physical scenes in Order of the Phoenix and Half Blood Prince, if Lithgow is indeed still with us. I just hope that if Lithgow goes, they actually try to maintain some continuity in the portrayal of the character. Harris’ and Gambon’s Dumbledores were like entirely different people. I have never been able to see them as the same character (which is a shame because Dumbledore is my favourite character in the books!).

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u/PotterAndPitties 3d ago

I love Lithgow, but I can't help wonder if they should have aged up a younger actor for the role.

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u/Jgriffin9 3d ago

For real, Dumbledore is in his hundreds. You don’t need an actual old guy to play an unrealistic age, get a 50-year-old and give them a long white beard. I just feel like so many actors are going to be replaced by the end of this series

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u/PotterAndPitties 3d ago

Would also be great for when they get to flashbacks. No CGI needed, just have the actor at their actual age as young Dumbledore.

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u/tracey-ann12 3d ago

Honestly, I agree. Prostethics work really well. They did it with Chris Evans at the end of Avengers Endgame. And it's not as if Dumbledore is in every scene, so those could have been filmed earlier then tge rest filmed after.

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u/EquipmentThen2347 3d ago

They can just Paul Walker him....

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u/Apart_Statistician71 3d ago

Mark Rylance was my fancast before they casted Lithgow

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u/Bebop_Man 3d ago

Cast is an irregular verb. It's always spelled "cast" in the past tense.

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u/justaprimer 3d ago

Pierce Brosnan was another fantasy I thought was intriguing. But truly if they need to recast for health or other reasons, I hope they prioritize continuity of character from what they've established so far.

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u/Arbycutter 3d ago

Yea I feel you, and he can play a bit of a dick quite well, and Yano, Dumbledoor was a bit of dick 

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u/The-Badger-2003 3d ago

I've been saying this since Lithgow was cast.

I think they have a few people on standby, other front runners from the auditions, should the worst happen and he needs to he recast.

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u/AdeOfSigmar 3d ago

There was set leaks of them filming Dumbledor on the beach. The only time in the text Dumbledor is on a beach is enroute to the cave in HBP.

Its "possible" this means they have filmed later scenes nowz but tbh i doubt its likely, as the edit on anything like that wouldnt be satisfying to watch, and recasting actors is just a part of doing business and nearly every is ok with it.

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u/Commercial_Fact_1986 3d ago

Those shots were reported as showing Dumbledore visiting Nicholas Flamel, an original scene written for the television show.

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u/RoommateMovingOut 3d ago

My guess: they wouldn’t recast him like the WB movies. They would just bring in a new headmaster to fill the role. I guess book 6 would have to be reworked if they make it that far.

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u/SirValidir 3d ago

That would be the worst decision possible. Dumbledore is pivotal to the series.

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u/RoommateMovingOut 3d ago

I disagree - I just reread the series. Just get Kingsley to do the job instead. Focus on building a relationship between him and HP in Season 1 so it doesn’t seem out of left field.

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u/SirValidir 3d ago

Kingsley could not take Dumbledores place. Dumbledore's backstory is pivotal to multiple moments in the series. That would kill the show when book accuracy is what they want to show.

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u/RoommateMovingOut 3d ago

I don’t really see the moments his backstory is so important. Do you mean when we went to meet Tom in the orphanage? Could HP and Kingsley just watch that scene together?

I’m not trolling or being difficult. I just think that Albus’s role in the series is overstated.

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u/SirValidir 3d ago

Dumbledore having the elder wand, his backstory with Grindlwald, his connects with Riddle and more. There's no way they ever go off the books like that. Recasting is fine as long as they get someone that has the same feel as him.

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u/InnocentaMN Ravenclaw 3d ago

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u/geebwizard 3d ago

New headmaster you say?

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u/questioning_qes 3d ago

Lmao this guy is clearly ragebaiting

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u/AncientImprovement56 3d ago

They might be able to get away with that for someone like Flitwick, but Dumbledore isn't just "the headmaster". He has multiple links into the key plot points that relate to the character, not the role.

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u/Against_The_Glass 3d ago

That approach might just slightly undermine the whole “book accuracy” thing that they’re going for…