A change to Severus Snape for HBO’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has quietly been confirmed. While some elements of the remake are sticking close to the Harry Potter films – Nick Frost’s Rubeus Hagrid looks pretty close to Robbie Coltrane’s version, so far – others are diverting away. Part of this is to help forge its own identity, some of it is due to striving for greater book accuracy, and some is simply what works best for the show itself.
This includes Snape himself, who is one of the most important characters to get right. In the TV show, he’ll be brought to life by Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You). Fans have already had a couple of glimpses of him – he appears very briefly in the first trailer for the Harry Potter TV show, and another still of him in the snow was also released by HBO. The casting of a Black actor has sadly, if predictably, caused controversy, with Essiedu even receiving death threats, but there are elements of greater book accuracy in here.
This includes Snape’s involvement in the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, which he referees in the book. This wasn’t included in the movie, but will be in the show – and we’ll even get to see Snape on a broom, as the actor told Esquire:
“There’s an episode with a lot of Quidditch, and my characters has to fly a broom. They built a whole stadium for that, and I saw one of the scenes where Harry has to fly and they’ve got wires. Then I had to do mine, and my broom was on the end of this big mechanical arm. I was doing it, and it’s not particularly comfortable, but whatever. Then I fell off, and I was hanging off my broom.”
The Harry Potter TV Show’s Snape Will Be Different From The Movies – And That’s Good
Image via HBO Max
Rickman’s portrayal of Snape is one of the most beloved parts of the Harry Potter movies, so it would be a huge challenge to top that regardless of who took on the role. But doing something different is the smarter approach. If you cast someone who looks like Rickman, and who then gives a performance similar to him, all you’re going to get is a Rickman-redux that pales in comparison. With Essiedu’s casting, there’s an actual chance for reinvention, and even to go closer to the books.
As incredible as Rickman was, his Snape was not entirely book accurate (something a lot of the bad faith complaints about the new casting conveniently forget). For starters, he was much older: Snape is in his early 30s when the books begin; Rickman was in his mid-50s in the first movie. Essiedu is 35, shifting things back towards the character’s book age.
With that comes his characterization. Rickman’s version was nowhere near as bitter, angry, or malicious. He might not have been Mr. Nice Guy, but he was way more likable than the books, and far more calm and composed. That makes sense with the age change, because Snape still acting like that in his 50s wouldn’t work since he should’ve matured more, and it clearly worked for the movies. But with Essiedu being much younger, it also makes more sense to have more of that personality from the books. He’s unquestionably a fantastic actor, and it’ll be great to see how he tackles that.
The inclusion of the Quidditch scene, with Snape on a broom, is also an encouraging sign. The expanded runtime of the TV series means it can include scenes that the movies didn’t have time for, like this, and add in things that aren’t even on the page to flesh out the characters and world even more. This doesn’t mean it will necessarily be better than the movies because of that, but that it can provide its own worthwhile experience.
In terms of Snape, specifically, because his full arc his known from the outset, it could layer things in throughout the entire series that build to the big reveals with his character. This is one of the richest, most complex characters in the entire Harry Potter saga, and there should be faith that Essiedu can pull it off, and whether he does or not won’t be contingent on the color of his skin. The actor had a great response when asked why he’d taken on the role, and it’s something everyone could do with remembering:
“The themes that run through Harry Potter are of love triumphing over hate — of acceptance. And that’s why I’m doing it.”
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone releases Christmas 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.