Paapa Essiedu is in talks to play Severus Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series.
READ MORE: Paapa Essiedu just wants to tell proper stories: “Being the lead isn’t the be all and end all”
The I May Destroy You actor has been offered the part of the potions master originally played by Alan Rickman in the movies although it is not clear if negotiations have begun in earnest, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
So far, no one has been cast in the upcoming HBO show, though open castings for the series leads opened in the UK and Ireland in September.
Mark Rylance is reportedly the frontrunner for the role of Dumbledore in the series.
News that Essiedu could be up the role left some Harry Potter fans unconvinced.
Paapa Essiedu is a tremendous actor, genuinely great. He’s also the wrong choice for Snape.
Two things can be true at the same time.#HarryPotter
— Sam (@samspeaksmovies) December 5, 2024
Why would @HBO think Paapa Essiedu is right for Severus Snape really confuses me
Hes a talented actor but he doesn’t have that Mystery & Wicked look that really made the Snape played by Alan Ricken in the @harrypotter Movies so beloved & remembered
Adam Driver should play him pic.twitter.com/G73Ai3KVCs
— Loyal Logic (@LoyalLogic) December 5, 2024
This is a hard pass for me. Snape is described very specifically in the books. He may be a great actor, but looks absolutely count here.#harrypotter #hbomax https://t.co/4b8mDqK17q
— Megan (@meganthemeek) December 5, 2024
“Paapa Essiedu is a tremendous actor, genuinely great. He’s also the wrong choice for Snape,” one wrote.
Another felt he wasn’t right for the role and suggested Adam Driver would be more suited.
They added: “Why would @HBO think Paapa Essiedu is right for Severus Snape really confuses me. He’s a talented actor but he doesn’t have that Mystery & Wicked look that really made the Snape played by Alan Ricken in the @harrypotter Movies so beloved & remembered.”
One other added: “This is a hard pass for me. Snape is described very specifically in the books. He may be a great actor, but looks absolutely count here.”
Others were more positive over the possibility of him taking up the role.
“Don’t give a fuck abt Harry Potter but Paapa Essiedu is one of the greatest Shakespearean actors to ever do it,” one wrote. Another said: “I’m here to tell you that Paapa Essiedu is the best actor I’ve ever witnessed on stage and we could only be so lucky.”
Don’t give a fuck abt Harry Potter but Paapa Essiedu is one of the greatest Shakespearean actors to ever do it https://t.co/5EVqrCZFD2
— BACKSHOT MONSTERᖭི༏ᖫྀ (@ivy_silk_) December 4, 2024
I’m here to tell you that Paapa Essiedu is the best actor I’ve ever witnessed on stage and we could only be so lucky. https://t.co/NN7LBdrHz1
— Josh Van Der Linde (@DirtyMutt32) December 5, 2024
The show is expected to run for seven seasons, with each adapting one of the books in J.K. Rowling’s series. It was recently announced that the show would see Succession duo Francesca Gardiner as its writer and showrunner, and Mark Mylod as director on multiple episodes.
Meanwhile, Ralph Fiennes recently backed Cillian Murphy to play Voldemort in the forthcoming series.
Fans have been discussing the possibility of the Oppenheimer star in the role since September and Fiennes, who played the villain from Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire onwards in the original films, recently endorsed Murphy.
It was also recently confirmed that Rowling still remains “fairly involved” in the forthcoming series, despite her past anti-trans sentiments and many fans previously objecting to her involvement.
Earlier this week, it was also confirmed that the series has been pushed back until 2027.
The post Paapa Essiedu in talks to play Severus Snape in ‘Harry Potter’ TV series but some fans aren’t convinced appeared first on NME.
