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UPDATED: Paapa Essiedu is being eyed for the role of Professor Severus Snape in the upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series, Variety has confirmed with sources.
According to sources, no deal is currently in place and Essiedu has not formally accepted the role. He is the latest actor to be mentioned for a part in the series. Variety previously reported that Academy Award winner Mark Rylance was in the running for the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Reps for HBO responded to Variety‘s request for comment with the following 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.”
Popular on Variety Snape is the potions professor at Hogwarts and the head of Slytherin House. Throughout the book series, he and Harry are constantly at odds, as Harry’s father bullied Snape when they were both students at the school of witchcraft and wizardry. Snape also harbored an unrequited love for Harry’s mother, Lily. Snape was portrayed by the late Alan Rickman in the “Harry Potter” films.
Should Essiedu ultimately accept the role, it would mark a return to HBO for the actor. He previously co-starred in the critically-acclaimed limited series “I May Destroy You,” which aired on HBO in the U.S. He received an Emmy nomination for best supporting actor in a limited series for his work on the show. Essiedu is also known for his leading role in the crime drama “Gangs of London” as well as for shows like “Press,” “The Lazarus Project,” and “The Miniaturist.” He has starred in films such as 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” “The Outrun,” and “Genie.”
He is repped by WME and Curtis Brown Group.
The leads for the show – Harry, Hermione and Ron – will likely be newcomers, with Warner Bros. launching an open casting call for kids aged between 9 and 11 earlier this fall.
Per the logline, “The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved ‘Harry Potter’ book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters ‘Harry Potter’ fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will bring ‘Harry Potter’ and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
Francesca Gardiner was formally tapped to serve as showrunner and executive producer on the “Harry Potter” show back in June. Mark Mylod will direct multiple episodes in addition to executive producing. The series is also executive produced by Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news of Essiedu being eyed for Snape.
