Paapa Essiedu will play Severus Snape in HBO’s new Harry Potter series.
The black actor will play the role of Hogwarts teacher, who was previously played by the late Alan Rickman in the film series adapted from J.K. Rowling’s famous novels.
Snape is known as the very smart yet cruel potions master at Hogwarts who has ‘a large hooked nose, and yellow, uneven teeth.’
The series, which is set to start filming this summer, will be based on Rowling’s 1997 debut novel ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,’ per the Hollywood Reporter.
Emmy winner John Lithgow will play Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, while Janet McTeer will take on the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost will play Rubeus Hagrid.
All four of them, including the Black Mirror actor, will star as regulars in the series, the outlet reported. The main characters – Harry, Ron and Hermoine – have not yet been announced.
Francesca Gardiner, the showrunner and executive producer, and Mark Mylod, the director of several episodes and the executive producer, said they are ‘delighted to have such extraordinary talent’ in the show.
‘We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell and Filch,’ they said.
Paapa Essiedu has been casted as Severus Snape in HBO’s new Harry Potter series.
The late Alan Rickman notably portrayed the role of the potions professor throughout Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter film franchise from 2001 through 2011
‘We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.’
In reference to Rickman’s famous portrayal of Snape, Mylod said: ‘Nobody can replace Alan Rickman, but we can find the next Alan Rickman.’
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HBO plans to turn each of Rowling’s seven novels into a season for the series.
The streaming service said 32,000 children auditioned for the kids roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione last year as the characters were only 11-years-old in the first book.
News of the British actor’s role comes after Harry Potter fans slammed his casting as ‘woke.’
Upon hearing the possibility that Essiedu was cast as Snape in December, some shared their thoughts on X about how that made them feel.
One penned: ‘I’m sorry but there is only one man who can be Professor Snape. Shame on HBO for going near this. It’s just going to ruin something that should be left well alone.’
‘Paapa Essiedu shouldn’t take this role for his own benefit. He could be the best actor in the world but he doesn’t fit the characteristics of Snape from the book,’ another said.
The Black Mirror actor, Lithgow, McTeer and Frost will star as regulars in the series. (Pictured: Essiedu in Black Mirror)
Despite the harsh backlash, Rowling herself previously defended a black actress who was cast to play Hermione in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Rowling, 59, called critics ‘a bunch of racists’ after news broke of Noma Dumezweni taking on the role back in 2016.
‘With my experience of social media, I thought that idiots were going to idiot,’ she told The Guardian.
‘But what can you say? That’s the way the world is. Noma was chosen because she was the best actress for the job.’
Despite the harsh backlash, Rowling (pictured in 2018) herself previously defended a black actress who was cast to play Hermione in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
She went on to tell the outlet she had a ‘great deal of difficulty’ with people’s opinions about the race of the actress.
‘I had a bunch of racists telling me that because Hermione “turned white” – that is, lost color from her face after a shock – that she must be a white woman, which I have a great deal of difficulty with,’ the British author said at the time.
‘But I decided not to get too agitated about it and simply state quite firmly that Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm.’