- Emmy nominee Paapa Essiedu set to play Severus Snape
- Janet McTeer in negotiations to play McGonagall
- John Lithgow is playing the role of Dumbledore
John Lithgow’s casting as Professor Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series has already been confirmed. Now, more spell casting – sorry, role casting – news is circulating.
Read more: John Lithgow confirmed for Harry Potter TV show
The highly anticipated series, which is expected to run over a decade, comes from writer-showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director/executive producer Mark Mylod. Mylod is best known for his work on the HBO drama series Succession (2018–2023). The new show will offer a faithful re-telling of J.K. Rowling’s iconic Harry Potter novels.
Read more: Everything we know about the Harry Potter TV show
According to Deadline, it sounds like HBO is about to welcome two more stars aboard the Hogwarts Express. Emmy nominee Paapa Essiedu and Oscar nominee Janet McTeer are in talks to play two key characters from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
Paapa Essiedu has long been rumored to play the Potions Master, Severus Snape. Now it looks like it’s just a matter of time until an official announcement is made.
The actor, best known for starring in the British sci-fi series The Lazarus Project, is 34 and will be more age-accurate to Snape as depicted in the books. In contrast, the late Alan Rickman was 54 when he portrayed the Half-Blood Prince in the films.
Essiedue as Snape would mark a return to HBO for the actor, who previously starred as Kwame opposite Michaela Coel in her BBC/HBO limited series I May Destroy You. It was a role that landed him Emmy and BAFTA TV nominations.
Some will undoubtedly struggle with the idea of a non-white actor playing Snape, while the character was portrayed by white actor Rickman in the films. However, Paapa has proven his ability to portray complex characters brilliantly, including his role as Alex Dumani in Gangs of London. It’s also worth noting that J.K. Rowling’s description of Snape in the books is ‘sallow-skinned’, which doesn’t necessarily mean white.
The casting further demonstrates the Harry Potter franchise’s ongoing expansion of its inclusive and racially diverse universe. The casting of dark-skinned Noma Dumezweni as Hermione in the long-running stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was an early sign of this shift.
Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall
Janet McTeer is on the verge of officially being cast as Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House, in the upcoming Harry Potter series. At 63, McTeer will be four years younger than the late Maggie Smith was when she first portrayed McGonagall in the films over two decades ago. McGonagall, also the Deputy Headmistress under Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, was previously played by Fiona Glascott in the Fantastic Beasts prequel films.
Like Eissideu, the Harry Potter TV series would mark a return to HBO for McTeer. McTeer played Winston Churchill’s wife Clementine in the HBO film Into the Storm, earning an Emmy nomination. She has most recently featured in FX series The Old Man (which also stars Lithgow) and Netflix series Kaos. She will next be seen in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. In 1999, McTeer was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Tumbleweeds, but lost out to Judi Dench for her performance in Shakespeare in Love.
HBO have declined to comment on any rumors surrounding castings, stating “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”. However, it seems like only a matter of time before McTeer and Essiedu begin to conjure magic in front of cameras.
The Harry Potter TV series will be filmed at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, which is where the movies were shot. It is slated to debut on HBO in late 2026 or early 2027.
