News of Smith’s death was confirmed by her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin. “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September,” they said in a statement.

"No thank you," Jared Harris responded when asked by The Independent if he would want to portray Dumbledore in the TV reboot as his father Richard Harris had done in the first two films. The elder Harris died in 2002 and Michael Gambon played the wizard in the remaining six films.

On September 10, HBO launched an open casting call for the lead roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in the upcoming series reboot. The search is open to children aged 9 to 11 who live in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and applicants of all races, ethnicities, and gender identities are encouraged to apply.