Harry Potter Actor Jason Isaacs Slams 'Racist' Criticism of Paapa Essiedu Snape Casting in HBO TV Adaptation — 'They Will be Swallowing Their Tongues, Hopefully'

Harry Potter movie prima Jason Isaacs has deed retired astatine "rude" disapproval surrounding the casting of Black histrion Paapa Essiedu arsenic Severus Snape successful HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation.

Essiedu, antecedently seen successful Black Mirror and HBO's ain I May Destroy You, was confirmed arsenic playing the franchise's cardinal relation of Snape backmost successful April, taking connected the baton from the precocious Alan Rickman successful the archetypal movie series.

Paapa Essiedu plays Severus Snape successful HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation. Image credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Harper's Bazaar UK.

Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy successful the Harry Potter films, has present discussed the absorption to Essiedu's casting, backing the histrion and slamming online hatred arsenic radical being "racist."

"Paapa Essiedu is 1 of the champion actors I've ever seen successful my life," Isaacs said during a sheet astatine FanExpo Denver, arsenic reported by Collider. "I've seen immoderate radical online who are being rude astir him. What they're being is racist.

"All the formed of the caller Harry Potter TV bid are amazing. They volition beryllium swallowing their tongues, hopefully — you know, their integer tongues — erstwhile they spot what [Paapa] does connected screen."

Snape is simply a pivotal fig successful the Harry Potter series, and a quality whose existent motivations stay unclear for overmuch of its storyline. It's lone successful aboriginal books, and films, that much of Snape's backstory is revealed — including his narration with Harry's parents, and the existent quality of his allegiance to Voldermort.

Criticsm of Essiedu's casting has ranged from complaints that the histrion does not acceptable the carnal quality of Snape successful the archetypal books — a assertion antecedently lodged against the Black casting of Hermione successful the hugely-successful Harry Potter and the Cursed Child signifier amusement — and the proposition that Snape being Black changes the dynamic of his story, peculiarly him being bullied arsenic a schoolchild by Harry's begetter and friends, and his unrequited emotion for Harry's mother.

But portion immoderate person said the casting is excessively overmuch of a departure, others person suggested the determination volition bring elements of Snape's communicative into sharper focus, making for a stronger communicative overall.

"The amusement is being made by the aforesaid radical who made the films, and they're conscionable taking the clip to marque each publication into a full season," Isaacs said, "and it's going to beryllium great."

First to beryllium announced for the bid was seasoned histrion John Lithgow arsenic Albus Dumbledore, with consequent formed updates naming Janet McTeer arsenic Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost arsenic Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon arsenic Quirinus Quirrell, Paul Whitehouse arsenic Argus Filch, and Katherine Parkinson arsenic Molly Weasley.

The Harry Potter TV bid is expected to statesman filming this year, with a debut connected HBO planned for precocious 2026 oregon the opening of 2027.

Image credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Harper's Bazaar UK

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social