The upcoming HBOHarry Potterserieshas sparked controversy afterDeadlinereported thatPaapa Essieduis closing his deal to portrayProfessor Severus Snape.
One of the main concerns among fans of the franchise is that Essiedu’s appearance differs significantly from the character’s description in J.K. Rowling’s novels.
HighlightsPaapa Essiedu’s casting as Snape in the new Harry Potter series sparks fan backlash over character accuracy.Potterheads say Essiedu’s appearance contradicts Snape’s description in the books.Some fans argue for talent over book accuracy, while others worry about the casting affecting character dynamics.
The character “has shoulder-length, greasy black hair which frames his face, and cold, black eyes.”
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ManyHarry Potterfans reacted negatively to the news of Paapa Essiedu closing his deal to portray Professor Severus Snape
Image credits:Kaizen D. Asiedu
Snape’s race is never specified in the books, but, as Kaizen D. Asiedu pointed out in a viral video, Rowling includes terms that wouldn’t be used to describe a Black person.
“Is it because Snape cast a race transitionspellor drank a Polyjuice Potion?” the Players star jokingly asked before taking a serious tone.
“It’s cool as a Black person to see Paapa having success. I get that racially diverse casting can offer new perspectives, but this is forced.”
He continued: “Harry Potteris a part of history. Many millennials’ fondest childhood memories are with these characters. Making Snape Black might help HBO’s diversity push, but it’s coming at the cost of being true to the source material.”
“I get that racially diverse casting can offer new perspectives, but this is forced,” complained Kaizen D. Asiedu
— Kaizen D. Asiedu (@thatsKAIZEN)March 8, 2025
“And if you think race isn’t central to Snape’s role, I agree,” he added. “But we can’t be expected to not see color on one hand while HBO emphasizes color on the other.
“Even if J.K. Rowling supports this because her ideas have changed, the history she made hasn’t.”
Image credits:IMDB
Many fans were concerned that the casting of Paapa Essiedu might affect the character dynamics between James Potter and Snape, with the scenes of Harry’s father bullying Snape when they were younger now having racial undertones that weren’t present in Rowling’s books.
British actor Paapa Essieduis knownforI May Destroy You,Anne Boleyn,The Lazarus Project, andBlack Mirror: Demon 79
Image credits:Wikipedia
“When I was readingHarry Potteryears ago, never did I think there should have been a brown Sri Lankan in the book! I just enjoyed the characters and their interactions as written in that country – Britain,” one of them wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“The same way, I don’t read books from India and think, ‘Hmm there should have been a white trans woman.’ These are modern token gestures. If you want inclusivity, don’t destroy classics, but create something brand new!!!”
Image credits:Warner Media
Another fan believed that talent should be prioritized over book accuracy when producing an adaptation. “I only care if he was the best actor for the role. Denzel Washington would have been an awesome Snape in the movies.”
Someone else penned: “Given the nature of Snape and how most respond to him, I’m afraid this could backfire and make everyone in theHarry Potterworld seem racist!”
In the books, Snape is described as a “thin man with sallow skin, a large, hooked nose, and yellow, uneven teeth”
Image credits:The Mother of All Nerds
On Friday (March 7),Deadlinereported that theI May Destroy Youactor was “closing his deal” to portray Snape.
“We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation,” HBO said in a statement. “As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”
The character “has shoulder-length, greasy black hair which frames his face, and cold, black eyes”
The highly anticipatedHarry Potterseriesis designed to run over a decade. Casey Bloys, CEO of HBO and Max Content, called the show a “faithful adaptation” of Rowling’s novels that will “dive deep into each of the iconic books.”
Showrunner Francesca Gardiner revealed that the series will stick to the “canonical” ages of Snape, who will be 31. (Paapa Essiedu is 34).
The show, which will be filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden where the Harry Potter movies were shot, is set to be released on HBO in late 2026 or early 2027.
The casting of Paapa Essiedu continued to spark heated debates among Potterheads
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