Sectumsempra!
HBO is circling British actor Paapa Essiedu to play one of the hottest TV roles being cast this year.
The I May Destroy You actor is up for the role of Professor Severus Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter TV series, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. Sources say the actor has been offered the part although it is not clear if negotiations have begun in earnest.
Snape is the wickedly smart and casually cruel Hogwarts potions master who comes across as the story’s primary antagonist in the show’s first season, which will be based upon author J.K. Rowling‘s 1997 debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The role was famously played by the late Alan Rickman across eight Warner Bros. films.
So far, no actors have been officially cast in the Harry Potter series, which is aiming for a 2026 debut, although Bridge of Spies actor Mark Rylance is close to being signed for the critical role of the wise and powerful Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. The show is hot enough to conjure up several actor rumors, although the one summoning Cillian Murphy for the role of Lord Voldemort are not correct, sources add.
Essiedu started his career at the Royal Shakespeare Company where he played the title role in productions of Hamlet and King Lear. He’s since had roles in the films Murder on the Orient Express, Men and in TV shows Gangs of London, The Lazarus Project and the Black Mirror episode “Demon 79.”
If Essiedu lands the role, it will also be an example of HBO following through on its promise that the series would have a diverse cast (the films were sometimes criticized for having an entirely white core cast) and will presumable lead to a rather fresh take on the character.
In a statement regarding Esseidu’s casting, HBO said, “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”
The series is described as “a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
The series is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
English (US) ·