Apparently, “Harry Potter” media will continue no matter what, despite nearly two decades of the franchise’s dominance over pop culture and the fantasy/adventure genres in particular. If a new “Potter” TV series must be made, as corporate interests deem it so, then the least that can happen is that some talented, creative people can try to elevate the material and make it their own.
That’s just what seems to be happening with the news that actor Paapa Essiedu is in talks to portray Severus Snape in HBO’s re-adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” saga. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ink is not yet dry on Essiedu’s deal, with the trade publication stating that “Sources say the actor has been offered the part although it is not clear if negotiations have begun in earnest.” This tracks, given that no actors have officially signed on to the series yet, even though Mark Rylance is supposedly “close to being signed” to play Albus Dumbledore. Given that the series is due to premiere on HBO sometime in late 2026 or early 2027, it’s likely that we’ll get a slew of official casting news in the next few months, so the hubbub about Rylance and now Essiedu is likely the first rumblings of the casting storm to come.
Of course, the big questions remain: even though Francesca Gardiner has been named writer and showrunner of the series and Mark Mylod has been tapped as its director and producer, what is going to be the creative focus of this series besides just telling the story of Rowling’s already-adapted books again? Or is milking the IP the whole point, akin to HBO’s admittedly successful “The Last of Us” series, which made fans happy by delivering (almost) exactly the story, characters, and aesthetic they got in the video game? Most pressingly: how is any actor going to make these characters their own, when the memory of the original cast of the films is still so prevalent? To this last question, Essiedu provides a bit of an answer, because he’s an actor whose career has thus far been filled with bold, brave performances.
Actors like Essiedu may make the Harry Potter TV series worth watching
If indeed Essiedu will play Professor Severus Snape, the potions master who acts highly intimidating and villainous toward Harry Potter before more shadings to his character are revealed, then the actor has one major hurdle in his way: Alan Rickman, who despite his reservations about the films, gave Snape an indelible look and voice that has become synonymous with the character to even non-fans. It’s a big risk for any actor, but one glance at Essiedu’s filmography reveals that the actor is more than happy to take big swings with his choice of roles and projects.
In addition to appearing in various BBC TV miniseries (a staple of theatrically-trained British actors), Essiedu has starred in challenging shows like “I May Destroy You” and “The Lazarus Project.” His feature film work is just as daring, especially his turn as James in Alex Garland’s heavily polarizing folk horror film “Men.” Even his latest appearance in this year’s “The Outrun” opposite Saoirse Ronan marks him as an actor to watch, given his willingness to play morally ambiguous characters truthfully.
Snape is, of course, one of the most famously morally ambiguous figures in pop culture, so it’s no surprise that the “Harry Potter” series would want to put Essiedu’s prowess with such material to good use. Ultimately, like any project, Essiedu will be at the mercy of the script and direction of the eventual series, if indeed he appears in it at all. Let’s hope that his likely casting is an indicator of where this “Potter” series is going, because then it may mean it’ll at least be worth watching.
