The Harry Potter TV series is reportedly closing in on actors for Snape and McGonagall. After the eight-movie Harry Potter series was a smashing theatrical success from 2001 to 2011, HBO is now developing a yet-untitled Harry Potter-based TV series. The main cast members of the show are largely under wraps, but John Lithgow was recently cast to play the beloved wizard Albus Dumbledore. Lithgow’s casting was somewhat controversial among franchise fans due to the actor not being British. No release date has been revealed for the Wizarding World series.
Per Deadline, stars are reportedly nearing deals for Snape and McGonagall. These actors are Paapa Essiedu and Janet McTeer, respectively. McTeer is currently in negotiations to play Professor Minerve McGonagall, while Essiedu is looking to close his deal to play Professor Severus Snape.
What These Casting Updates Mean For The Harry Potter Show
Essiedu Is A Starkly Different Choice From Alan Rickman
While neither actor is as recognizable as Lithgow, both McTeer and Essiedu boast impressive backgrounds in their own right. McTeer is an English actor known recently for portraying Lillian in The Menu. She is 63 years old. This makes her a few years younger than Dame Maggie Smith was when she debuted in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at the age of 66. Smith’s performance is beloved and thus will be hard to top, but as an English actor of a similar age, McTeer is a similar casting choice.
Essiedu has been a rising star in recent years. He is an HBO series alum, having gotten his breakout role with the 2020 series I May Destroy You in a supporting role that resulted in an Emmy nomination. As in the case of Professor McGonagall, Severus Snape was originally played by another actor, Alan Rickman, who has since passed away. Rickman was 55 when he made his first Snape appearance; Essiedu is only 34 currently. As such, HBO is preparing to go in a different direction with Snape, at least age-wise, than the original films.
Our Take The Harry Potter Casting Announcement
This Casting Is Likely To Cause Backlash
Showcased by the recent Dumbledore uproar, Harry Potter fans are highly invested in any casting news. I am prepared for the unfortunate but inevitable backlash to come over Essiedu’s casting, because he is Black. As evidenced by How to Train Your Dragon and The Little Mermaid, casting non-white actors in historically white roles so often causes racist vitriol, and with such a widespread Harry Potter community, this is likely to be no exception. Hopefully, however, Essiedu’s casting is indicative of an overall commitment from HBO to cast more diverse actors to play the Hogwarts characters this time around.
