[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Barry.

I don’t mind the recast but with what happens to Snape in the books it’s a bit risky for white men to be bullying a black man. I know it hasn’t to do with his skin colour but you know people will love that nonetheless

If it's colour blind casting,then the bullying of Snape shouldn't matter regardless of skin colour,if that's the original story surely?.

It should be more about seeing why Snape became the way he is ,I always thought as a character he was complex and not as ruthless nor hard as he made out.

[Barry.]

Originally Posted by GoldHeart

If it's colour blind casting,then the bullying of Snape shouldn't matter regardless of skin colour,if that's the original story surely?.

It should be more about seeing why Snape became the way he is ,I always thought as a character he was complex and not as ruthless nor hard as he made out.

Yes that’s true but you know how people will react to that.

[Glenn.]

The new book-to-screen adaptation of the Harry Potter novels is one of the most anticipated projects on the horizon, but not all of that attention has been positive. As excitement builds, so too has a darker side of fandom, including real, explicit threats against cast members like the death threats that were made against actor Paapa Essiedu, who’s set to take on the role of Professor Severus Snape. According to HBO, this is something they’ve been preparing for from the start.

HBO's CEO, Casey Bloys, told Variety that the production has been preparing for this exact scenario from the start. They anticipated strong reactions and took steps early to protect the people involved, according to Bloys:

With all actors on any kind of big IP shows — and this is obviously one of those where you’ve got, you know, passionate fans, people with a lot of opinions — it can get scary in places. So for any show like that, we anticipated it and tried to have training, you know, best practices in terms of social media and how to handle it.

Paapa Essiedu has spoken openly about the kinds of threats he’s received since his casting, which have ranged from backlash from a segment of fans resistant to seeing a new take on the character popularized by the late Alan Rickman, to others that are strictly racially motivated. According to the actor, he’s been told things like, “Quit or I’ll murder you,” and has seen direct messages threatening violence, including claims that someone would “come to your house and kill you.”

Essiedu has acknowledged how difficult it is to ignore these threats. Even if he believes the threats won’t be carried out, the reality of seeing those messages regularly can take a toll on someone’s mental health. As troubling as that all sounds, Bloys made it clear this kind of reaction didn’t catch the studio off guard. The exec says there’s a more direct layer of protection. He continued:

And obviously we’ve got a serious security team. So unfortunately, it was something that we thought might happen and we just try to be as careful as we can.

It’s reassuring to hear that the cast of the Harry Potter TV series is being supported beyond just the work itself, especially when stepping into a role this visible. There’s clearly an effort to help them navigate the online side of things, too, which, at this point, is just part of the job, whether it should be or not.

Given the kind of threats being reported, it makes sense that security is a priority. This isn’t a wait-and-see situation. It’s something the studio was actively preparing for, which feels necessary.

There’s a bigger issue at play here as well. Big franchises, like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, exist because of passionate fans keeping the story alive, but when that passion crosses into harassment or outright threats, it becomes something else entirely. The threats Essiedu described, sadly, aren’t just a one-off, but a part of a pattern that keeps showing up when casting choices push expectations or bring something new into these worlds.

The new Wizarding World series is arriving sooner than expected, as it will debut on the 2026 TV schedule on Christmas Day. All you'll need to enjoy it is an HBO Max subscription.

Grim

[Livia]

I have no problem at all with black actors or black characters, but Snape is established as a white man. It'd be like remaking Luther with Idris Elba replaced by a white guy.

[Glenn.]

The racists really are triggered

[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Barry.

Yes that’s true but you know how people will react to that.

Well yeah that's unfortunately the case , people will always moan about something .

But Snape was never bullied due to his skin colour,so even if it ends up looking ' iffy ' that's not the initial story unfolding. I think most people probably still think of Alan Rickman still as Snape ,and will probably find it difficult to imagine someone else...even if it's a prequel story.

[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Livia

I have no problem at all with black actors or black characters, but Snape is established as a white man. It'd be like remaking Luther with Idris Elba replaced by a white guy.

I've never actually read all the Harry Potter books,was Snape ever described as a white man ? . I know people say Hermione is described as white ? .

Wuthering Heights would be a better example to compare to ,as Heathcliff & Cathy casting in this year's movie with Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi are nothing like the description in the novel. Apparently the director changed everything . Heathcliff is supposed to be of gypsy Asian heritage and background, which plays a big part of the story. Especially where he's treated differently for the time period,and the whole class aspect and status.

And Cathy is supposed to be younger with dark hair or something, again total opposite.

[Maru]

Originally Posted by GoldHeart

If it's colour blind casting,then the bullying of Snape shouldn't matter regardless of skin colour,if that's the original story surely?.

It should be more about seeing why Snape became the way he is ,I always thought as a character he was complex and not as ruthless nor hard as he made out.

He's one of the most written/drawn characters in HP fanfic world so not being an watcher/reader of the series, I always perceived it as people interpreting his facade as having plenty of room to add their own bits of imagination. So his character being twisted would be on par

And no I don't think skin doesn't tie to his character at all from what little I remember. However, I'm like @bots as I never understood the appeal.

[Jordan.]

Originally Posted by Crimson Dynamo

First look at Paapa Essiedu as Snape in the 'Harry Potter' series

Originally Posted by Cherie

Thought JK would never work again according to some

Originally Posted by Crimson Dynamo

when you don't know whether to complain about WOKE or glee over JK Rowling finally being back in employment

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Jordan.

when you don't know whether to complain about WOKE or glee over JK Rowling finally being back in employment

good old JK you can't keep a good woman down

[Jordan.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

good old JK you can't keep a good woman down

Glad you want the woke show to be a success then, now we await LT's stance

[Barry.]

Originally Posted by Jordan.

when you don't know whether to complain about WOKE or glee over JK Rowling finally being back in employment

I haven’t seen Cherie complain about woke. It’s usually LT that spews that word

[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Maru

He's one of the most written/drawn characters in HP fanfic world so not being an watcher/reader of the series, I always perceived it as people interpreting his facade as having plenty of room to add their own bits of imagination. So his character being twisted would be on par

And no I don't think skin doesn't tie to his character at all from what little I remember. However, I'm like @bots as I never understood the appeal.

You never understood the appeal of the character Snape ? ,or the appeal of something else?.

Well Snape isn't out and out evil is he ?, he always seemed complex like I said . He's more bitter and troubled really.

[Crimson Dynamo]

spews

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Cherie

good old JK you can't keep a good woman down

She can't get up with all that cashola in her pockets from fanboys

Lol

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Jordan.

Glad you want the woke show to be a success then, now we await LT's stance

I wish you luck getting that answer

He doesn’t do much explaining when he gets called out.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Barry.

I haven’t seen Cherie complain about woke. It’s usually LT that spews that word

Thank you Baz

My kids were never into Harry Potter so I have no idea who this character even is, he could be pink with yellow spots for all I know

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Thank you Baz

My kids were never into Harry Potter so I have no idea who this character even is, he could be pink with yellow spots for all I know

Let's not bring colour into this

[Maru]

Originally Posted by GoldHeart

You never understood the appeal of the character Snape ? ,or the appeal of something else?.

Well Snape isn't out and out evil is he ?, he always seemed complex like I said . He's more bitter and troubled really.

HP, in general. I never disliked it or anything, it just wasn't something I got into so my knowledge is limited

[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Maru

HP, in general. I never disliked it or anything, it just wasn't something I got into so my knowledge is limited

Oh right I've got you

[Glenn.]

The colour of his skin has zero impact on his character. That’s the bottom line. No matter how the many racists try to frame it.