(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) It was recently announced that HBO, which is working on the new Harry Potter, may hire a black actor to play Severus Snape, one of the characters in the books and movies. Fans of the universe criticized the company for race-swapping the character.
The rumors about the race swap came from Variety’s inside sources. The news source stated that British actor Paapa Essiedu has been offered the role of Snape in the show.
“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 fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years,” Variety reported.
The universe’s fans responded negatively to the rumors, pointing out that Snape was white in the books and movies.
“The creators of the show, including J.K. Rowling, said that the TV series would be a faithful adaptation of the books. Snape is described in the books as being a ‘thin man with greasy, shoulder-length black hair, a large hooked nose, sallow skin and cold, black eyes,'” @HPotterUniverse wrote.
The fan account also included J.K. Rowling’s drawing of Snape, which “correlates with how she described Snape’s appearance in the books.”
“They haven’t even started filming this TV series, and they are already deviating from the books. Personally, I am disappointed,” the person behind the account wrote.
According to reports, British actor Paapa Essiedu has been offered the role of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter TV series.
The creators of the show, including J.K. Rowling, said that the TV series would be a faithful adaptation of the books. Snape is described in the books as… pic.twitter.com/A5FrViTUUA
— Harry Potter Universe (@HPotterUniverse) December 5, 2024
In another post, the person behind the fan account also suggested that American actor Adam Driver would be a better choice, and many people in the comments section agreed.
Adam Driver would be my choice for Snape. pic.twitter.com/zAMJBYn5cH
— Harry Potter Universe (@HPotterUniverse) December 5, 2024
Conservative Christian activist Jon Root also criticized HBO’s potential decision to hire a black man to play a white character.
“This is a fantastic way to extinguish much of the excitement about the Harry Potter TV show… Stop replacing white characters with black actors. If this is true, I hope @jk_rowling axes the idea. The virtue signaling & pandering in Hollywood is insufferable,” he wrote.
This is a fantastic way to extinguish much of the excitement about the Harry Potter TV show…
Stop replacing white characters with black actors.
If this is true, I hope @jk_rowling axes the idea.
The virtue signaling & pandering in Hollywood is insufferable… https://t.co/LmllG5x3Tz
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) December 5, 2024
Others also opposed the idea of race-swapping, calling to cancel the show.
“Don’t fuel the cycle, don’t review bomb, just let it pass unnoticed and unexamined. There is nothing good that can come out of a Harry Potter series, and you know it. It is a 50% cash grab and a 50% progressive slop because everything is these days. Get beyond it,” @lichtstifter wrote.
Maybe, for the first time in your life, consider the option that you don't have to watch it just because it has a brand label on it.
With Star Wars, Rings of Power, and Jurassic Park, you had about 50 test runs to get prepared for this one day where you just don't bother anymore.… https://t.co/bVJjiTe59q— Der Schattenmacher (@lichtstifter) December 6, 2024
Cancel the show.
We as a society have moved on from woke casting. Did HBO not get the memo?
You should only be casting actors who match the physical descriptions of their characters in the book.
Period. https://t.co/RC3s8iH00S
— beefy_vibes🇺🇸 (@realitybites555) December 5, 2024
If this ends up being a real story, fuck this entire show. The whole point of doing this series should be so you could adapt it to be as close to the books as possible. Snape is white. Dean Thomas, Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, and Kingsley Shacklebolt are black. The books are… https://t.co/bYFN1gmXMY
— Ryan Kinel – RK Outpost (@KinelRyan) December 4, 2024
Some people also pointed out that Rowling may be fine with the race-swapping, remembering that she didn’t have a problem with leftists turning Hermione Granger black.
People seem to forget that while JK Rowling is against the pastel cult ideology, she is still very much left-aligned, and before being canceled happily approved of blackwashing Hermione in a play.
So, approving of blackwashed Snape would be no surprise… https://t.co/rsrTD87D8z pic.twitter.com/xrj2WwK7wE
— Razorevski (@DarkyLord11) December 5, 2024
