Alan Rickman’s Severus Snape is a legendary character in the Harry Potter universe, but now it’s time to see another actor carry forward Rickman’s legacy in the HBO Series. The Harry Potter series will be released sometime in 2026, and it will introduce us to new faces.
While casting for the anticipated series is still ongoing, recently, news surfaced stating that HBO is eyeing the popular actor Paapa Essiedu for the role of Severus Snape. However, the actor hasn’t received any formal deal from the creators or the network yet. HBO confirmed that they haven’t reached out to the actor with any formal confirmation, but they didn’t deny the speculation either.
Paapa Essiedu has been in the industry since 2012, and this is not the first time HBO has approached him. Previously, the network’s black-comedy miniseries, I May Destroy You, starred him and allowed him to be one of the most praised actors. To be precise, the series emerged as his breakout works. The actor earned several nominations, including the British Academy Television Award and Primetime Emmy Award. Besides that, Paapa Essiedu garnered a massive fandom with his work in several critically acclaimed projects, including Black Mirror: Demon 79, The Lazarus Project, and more.
According to THR, the HBO series will faithfully follow the world created by J.K. Rowling. While the Harry Potter movies are still fan favorites, the series will also try harder to accumulate a significant fandom with each season.
Moreover, the Harry Potter series will see Francesca Gardiner as the executive producer and showrunner. Apart from her, Rowling, Brontë Film and TV’s Ruth Kenley-Letts, Heyday Films’ David Heyman, and Neil Blair will serve as the executive producers for the project. Multiple episodes will also be directed by The Royle Family director Mark Mylod.
Severus Snape is one of the fan-favorite antagonists who became extremely popular due to his complex personality and how Rickman portrayed the character. Now, the legendary villain will be played by another actor, so let’s keep our fingers crossed and see if the next actor does justice to the character.
