HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series Eyeing Potential Actor For Severus Snape

A live-action Harry Potter TV series was first announced for HBO Max in January 2021, but there were delays due to an existing deal with Warner Bros. that lasts until April 2025.

The series was officially confirmed in April 2023 and will stream on Max (formerly HBO Max). In February 2024, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav announced the show would launch in 2026, and by June 2024, it was revealed the series would move from Max to HBO.

No official details about the show have been released yet, and no actors are confirmed, but Mark Rylance is close to being cast as Albus Dumbledore. Rumors about actors like Cillian Murphy playing Lord Voldemort are false and have not been confirmed.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Paapa Essiedu is being considered for the role of Severus Snape. Paapa gained fame for his role in I May Destroy You (2020), earning Emmy and BAFTA nominations, and has also appeared in Anne Boleyn (2021), Gangs of London (2020–2022), The Lazarus Project (2020–2023), and Black Mirror: Demon 79 (2023). He made his film debut in Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and starred in Men (2022) and Genie (2023).

The role of Snape is crucial due to his connection with the main character and his family background.

If Essiedu is cast, it would show HBO’s commitment to diversity, especially considering the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling, and offer a fresh take on the character, as the films were criticized for having an all-white cast. HBO has stated they will confirm casting details once deals are finalized, acknowledging the rumors about the series.

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