Lately, the Harry Potter world has been… a little chaotic.

Sure, there’s been plenty of exciting news — a brand new HBO series in the works, major casting announcements, and the promise of finally getting a longer, more detailed adaptation of the books.

But not all of the news has been met with open arms.

And one casting decision in particular — the choice for Snape — has been all over my news feed for months, seemingly sparking nonstop debate and dividing the fandom in a way I haven’t seen in years.

And here’s the thing: it’s not a standalone issue. People don’t have a problem with Essiedu as a person or as an actor, they have a problem with how HBO have chosen to conduct business..Advertising a show as a book-faithful, and then turning their back on this claim the second casting starts.

With filming just around the corner, today I’m breaking down the good, the bad, and the ugly — and making the case for why this series may (or may not) be redeemable.

Let’s dive in to it.

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As HBO trudges ahead with its high-profile reboot of the Harry Potter series, most major roles have now been cast, including the announcement of 9 major roles just this week However, one decision continues to dominate online discourse: the casting of Papa Essiedu as Severus Snape.

From the moment the announcement went public, the backlash has been unrelenting. While other casting choices have sparked minor debates—such as the updated portrayal of Hermione Granger—Essiedu's selection as Snape has received disproportionately heated responses across all platforms. And now, a new rumor is throwing more fuel on the fire: that HBO may be preparing to recast Snape altogether.

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I’ve got a quick video for you today on the most recent update from HBO which includes their finalized casting decisions for 9 more major actors in season 1 (which will cover the Philosopher’s Stone)

This includes casting announcements for Molly Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Mafloy, Seamus Finnigan, Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, Vernon & Petunia Dursley and Cornelius Fudge.

Let’s dive in to it!

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