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Paapa Essiedu, who has been cast as Severus Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter TV reboot, has spoken about receiving death threats following the announcement.
It’s been 15 years since Daniel Radcliffe last played The Boy Who Lived, and the Wizarding World is now gearing up for a long-form adaptation on TV. The first season, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is due to arrive this Christmas.
Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton will take on the central trio as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Elsewhere, John Lithgow is set to play Albus Dumbledore, while Nick Frost will portray Hagrid.
Essiedu, meanwhile, will step into the role made famous on screen by Alan Rickman. He’s acknowledged the part is set to transform his life ‘in a big way’.
With the reboot planned to run for a decade, Essiedu would be around 45 by the time production concludes.
In an interview with The Times, he described the role as a ‘big commitment’ and said the reaction has already been intense.
He revealed he has been targeted with threats since the casting news broke, including one message that read: “I’ve been told, ‘Quit or I’ll murder you’.”
Despite the hostility, he said he’s continuing with the project and is trying to accept the scale of what’s ahead.
“I know my life is going to change in a big way, but I have to just surrender to that. I could have children by the end of this.”
Essiedu also spoke about his relationship with reading growing up, explaining that he loved the Harry Potter novels as a child.
“My mum couldn’t afford a babysitter in the holidays, so she would take me to the library,” he recalled. “I loved Harry Potter. I never saw the films but the books were escapism when other things were less easy for me.”
Because he’s a fan, Essiedu said he’s aware Snape was originally written as a white character, and that his casting has sparked backlash and controversy.
“It really matters,” he said. “The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you.’
“So while I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be murdered… That could age badly! But, yes, while I hope I’ll be OK, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job. Many people put their lives on the line in their work. I’m playing a wizard in Harry Potter. And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally.”
Even so, he explained that the response can also push him forward, and strengthens his desire to make the character his own.
“I think of how I felt as a kid. I would imagine myself at Hogwarts on broomsticks, and the idea that a kid like me can see themselves represented in that world? That’s motivation to not be intimidated by someone saying they’d rather I died instead of doing work I’m going to be really proud of,” he said.
He added that choosing not to engage doesn’t erase the reality of what’s happening.
“The issue remains endemic and, anyway, people see stuff and message to ask if I’m OK,” he said. He also noted he hasn’t reported the threats, explaining: “I don’t think some 17-year-old boy being put in jail for two weeks for threatening to murder me would actually make me feel any better.”
“The themes that run through Harry Potter are of love triumphing over hate — of acceptance,” he pointed out. “And that’s why I’m doing it.”
The series will air on HBO Max, which is now available to stream in the UK and Ireland as part of a wider international rollout.
While the trailer didn’t linger on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, it did show Harry (Dominic McLaughlin) at a Muggle school, hinting at parts of his early life that weren’t explored on screen before.
The original 2001 film didn’t focus much on the practical details of Harry and Hagrid’s trip around London before reaching Diagon Alley, but the new footage includes a shot of them travelling on the Underground.
Viewers also get fresh looks at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat and Ollivander, plus Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia (Daniel Rigby and Bel Powley), who are shown mocking Harry and telling him he’s ‘nothing special’.
The trailer finally offers a clearer view of several key characters, including Snape (Paapa Essiedu), Hagrid (Nick Frost), Dumbledore (John Lithgow), Professor McGonagall (Janet McTeer), Draco Malfoy (Lox Pratt), Ron Weasley (Alastair Stout) and Hermione Granger (Arabella Stanton).
It was also confirmed that the first season will be titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone —matching the original UK book title—much to the excitement of British fans.
Although it had previously been expected in early 2027, the trailer states Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will debut ‘this Christmas on HBO Max’.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Racial Equity Support Line on 503-575-3764, available weekdays from 10am to 7pm PT. Or via the Lines for Life Equity Team at [email protected].