When Paapa Essiedu (known for roles in Gangs of London and I May Destroy You) was announced as the new Professor Severus Snape in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series back in December 2024, the casting sparked controversy. Essiedu has been the target of prejudiced comments online, prompting criticism from actors who starred in the original Harry Potter films. Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, publicly denounced the online hate in July 2025, stating that Essiedu is a phenomenal actor and that the negative comments are rooted in racism. Isaacs expressed confidence that viewers will change their minds once they see Essiedu’s performance.
Essiedu has received an alarming amount of hateful and threatening messages. He shared with The Times that he’s been directly threatened with violence, even death, and regularly sees similar threats on Instagram, including people vowing to harm him at his home.
Despite receiving awful comments, Essiedu is trying to stay positive. While he acknowledges the threats are disturbing, he doesn’t believe they’ll escalate to physical harm (though he jokes the situation could change) and hasn’t involved the police. He feels punishing a young person wouldn’t resolve the issue and is instead channeling the experience into his creative work.
The negativity actually pushes me forward. It makes me even more determined to bring this character to life, especially when I think about how I felt as a child. I used to dream of being at Hogwarts, flying on a broomstick, and the thought that a kid like me could see themselves in that world is incredibly inspiring. That’s what keeps me going, even when people say horrible things – it motivates me to ignore the hate and create something I’ll be truly proud of.
Essiedu understands how serious the threats are. “No one should experience this just for doing their job,” he explained. “Many professions involve risk, and while I play a wizard in Harry Potter, I’d be dishonest if I said it wasn’t emotionally impacting.”
The upcoming HBO series based on Harry Potter has faced criticism since its announcement. Some wonder if a remake is necessary, given the success of the original movies which ended 15 years ago. Others are concerned about the involvement of J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, due to her controversial views on transgender rights. Actor Ncuti Essiedu was among those who signed a letter urging support for transgender rights following a U.K. court ruling, which Rowling publicly supported. Rowling stated she couldn’t and wouldn’t fire Essiedu for his stance on the issue.
Despite previous challenges, the show will continue with a big cast bringing these well-known characters to life. Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton will star as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. John Lithgow will play Professor Dumbledore, Lox Pratt is Draco Malfoy, Janet McTeer will be Professor McGonagall, and Nick Frost is Hagrid – and that’s just a glimpse of the talented actors involved.
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HBO’s Harry Potter reboot is expected to premiere sometime in 2027.
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2026-03-22 20:22