HBO Wednesday unveiled the much-awaited teaser of the upcoming fantasy series Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. While some fans were happy about the ‘book-accurate’ visuals, a large section of users were unhappy with the casting of actor Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape.
In the film series, based on J. K. Rowling’s books, Alan Rickman portrayed the iconic character.
Earlier this year, when HBO announced Essiedu’s casting, the actor found himself at the receiving end of racist backlash and death threats. Fans of the original book series were unhappy because portraying Snape as ‘black’ diverges from the book’s description of a pale, hooked-nosed white man.
In the first-look teaser, Paapa had a blink-and-you-miss screen appearance. But that did not stop fans from criticising the filmmakers for ‘not being faithful’ to the detailed physical description of Snape.
“Paapa Essiedu looks more like the vampire Laurent from ‘Twilight’ than he ever will Severus Snape. Good luck with that,” an X user wrote.
Another post reads, “I have so many thoughts on the new Harry Potter show, but I won’t say anything, bc i don’t want to give this piece of media any of my energy/time. This is the only related thing. No hate for Paapa Essiedu as a person, but he is such a miscast on so many levels.”
“Snape is bullied by Harry's father because he looks different, and now you race-swapped him as Black. Paapa Essiedu would be a good Shacklebolt actor, not Snape. Especially when Adam Driver is right there! You guys have no idea what this backlash gonna be like,” another fan wrote on X.
However, several Potterheads came forward to quash the backlash, defending Paapa Essiedu.
One fan wrote, “Let's be honest. No one can ever replace Alan Rickman's Snape. He was truly the best performer amidst giants. His passing makes us love him even more. But we don't know how Paapa Essiedu will portray the same character. If this adaptation has to happen, then hating on its performers before it is out is very unreasonable.”
Another fan wrote, “Paapa Essiedu is a VERY accomplished actor in the U.K, his resume speaks for itself. He clearly went in there and crushed his audition and outacted his competitors. Some of y'all don’t seem to understand that actors have to compete with others for their roles.”
The Harry Potter franchise was previously adapted into eight films released between 2001 and 2011, starring Daniel Radcliffe in the lead role, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Ron and Hermione.
Currently in production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the new series features a cast including Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall. The project is led by showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod, with executive producers including Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts and David Heyman.
