Fans Voice Their Dissatisfaction Over Probable Snape Casting for HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series
HBO’s upcoming adaptation of the Harry Potter series is one of the most anticipated (if not the most anticipated) events in the world of cinema (movies and TV included). The fans have been promised a lore-faithful, decade-long adventure that will bring new life to Rowling’s beloved series.
The first season has been pushed back to 2027 and at this moment, we have very little official information. We know that John Lithgow has been cast as Albus Dumbledore, and we’ve recently received reports that two other roles are close to being cast – that of professors Snape and McGonagall.
And while Janet McTeer’s reported casting was welcomed by the fans, as she does look the part, the fact that HBO will seemingly (Deadline reported that a deal was close to being signed and HBO did not release an official statement related to the casting, hence the wording) cast Paapa Essiedu as Snape has cause a lot of uproar online.
The fans are quite dissatisfied with the news, claiming that the series was promised to be a faithful adaptation of the books (more than the movies), and yet the first cast rumors confirm that it will have a very different approach and not respect the lore, where Snape is described in detail. Here are some of the comments:
"A faithful adaptation of the books"
— AJ Jones (@IronMan198XAD) March 7, 2025
Severus Snape is depicted as a thin man with sallow skin, a large hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair.
I'm sure he'll do great but I'm also sure they will catch a bunch of shit over it.
"A faithful adaptation of the books"
— AJ Jones (@IronMan198XAD) March 7, 2025
Severus Snape is depicted as a thin man with sallow skin, a large hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair.
I'm sure he'll do great but I'm also sure they will catch a bunch of shit over it.
Fans, no matter their cultural background, want a product that is as close to the source material as possible, PERIOD. One of the most striking things about the LOTR films -the images and characters on screen were a 1-1 reflection of the images in my head when I read the novels.
— Beebbopp (@TheBeebbopp) March 8, 2025
They had the perfect casting but decided to race swap? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/AkXdltsEYm
— Herbert karima (@ALBERTOMWANALDO) March 7, 2025
I love the series and read them before they took off in the USA, went to every movie at theatres. A modern day classic series.
— Rex Umberleigh (@RexUmberleigh) March 7, 2025
But if this is the FIRST error with the series, I can't even imagine the others yet unknown. pic.twitter.com/OwOoya2GpS
Again, it is not known if this is official and things might change going forward, but as things stand now, it seems that the series is having a far-from-flawless start, so it will be interesting to observe how the fandom reacts.
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