Paapa Essiedu eyed to play Professor Snape in Harry Potter TV series

THR reports that HBO is considering Paapa Essiedu for the role of Professor Severus Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series. The outlet’s sources say the actor has already been offered the part, but it’s unclear if negotiations have begun.

HBO wouldn’t confirm or deny, but did release a statement: “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.” If Essiedu does take on the role, he will be stepping into the shoes of the late Alan Rickman, who brought the devious potions master to life in the Harry Potter movies.

Essiedu is best known for his appearances in Murder on the Orient Express and Men and TV series such as Gangs of London, I May Destroy You, The Lazarus Project, and Black Mirror.

There’s been no official casting on the Harry Potter TV series yet, but Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) is said to be close to signing on to play Albus Dumbledore. The casting process for the three main kids has begun. An open call was put out for children who are residents of the U.K. and Ireland and will be between the ages of 9 and 11 in April 2025 to play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Succession‘s Francesca Gardiner will serve as a writer and showrunner on the series, while Mark Mylod signed on to executive produce and direct multiple episodes. The project was originally developed for Max but made the leap to HBO (along with a variety of other Max shows) in June.

Each season of the Harry Potter TV series is said to cover one of Rowling’s novels, for a total of seven seasons. While the movies were able to fit quite a lot in, there were plenty of moments cut from the novels that the TV series will finally be able to bring to life. Last year, the studio released a statement saying, “Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.“

Could you see Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape?