Paapa Essiedu has reportedly “been offered” a role in HBO’s Harry Potter TV show – though official negotiations have yet to take place.
The actor, who’s best known for his work in Black Mirror, Gangs of London, and I May Destroy You, is allegedly being eyed to play Professor Severus Snape, the mysterious and irritable Potions teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Snape, who was brought to life by the late Alan Rickman in all eight of the movie adaptations, will likely be the show’s primary antagonist in its debut season, which will be based on the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
“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,” HBO told the publication, when asked for clarification on the suspected casting.
While no actors have officially signed up to the show yet, Essiedu isn’t the only one who’s been linked to a specific character. Back in November, Variety claimed that Bridge of Spies star Mark Rylance was circling the role of Albus Dumbledore. The Hogwarts headmaster was, of course, previously played by Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Jude Law.
More recently, a viewer on Watch What Happen’s Live suggested to Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes that Cillian Murphy could play the Dark Lord next, to which he replied: “That’s a wonderful suggestion. I’d be all in favor of Cillian, yeah.”
For more from HBO, check out our guides to the best shows on Max and the best movies on Max to watch right now.
It is important to note that the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series has been the subject of criticism and debate due to the show’s executive producer and author J.K. Rowling’s very public and harmful stance on gender identity. It was a similar situation with the Hogwarts Legacy launch. For more, read more about the Hogwarts Legacy controversy.