HBO Race Swaps Snape In Harry Potter Series?!

According to The Hollywood Reporter black actor Paapa Essiedu has been offered the role of Snape in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series. Are fans’ hopes for a more book-faithful adaptation that doesn’t cater to ‘‘modern sensibilities’ in shambles already? Let’s talk about it.

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[sarahsuze]

Snape's whole backstory is based on being teased for the way he looks... pale, scrawny, greasy hair.

[salazar]

When will they learn that people are tired of race swaps? If you care so much about black characters, then create a new, unique character.

[justincase]

When are they going to learn ?
Want a black character? Create one, don't swap !

[RHBR]

It's a bad call. Snape is REPEATEDLY described as pale, pallid, pasty, etc. His features are a big part of his character. It would be like casting the Weasleys as blondes.

This isn't the first time I've asked this question, and it probably won't be the last, but: If you're looking for diversity and wanting to cast a character that's traditionally depicted as pale (Snape, Snow White, the elves from LOTR) then why the hell aren't you looking at Chinese actors? Korean? Japanese? You get a HELL of a lot of pale actors in those groups who could fit the character's visual description whilst still not being white. Why isn't Hollywood tapping into them?

[alfortemark]

As a minority, race swapping iconic roles is just insulting. We do not want/need hand-me-down roles. We already grew up with these characters. We deserve to have something original too. If Hollywood really wants us to feel represented then create something authentic and original.

[sarahsuze]

Someone on twitter said "Snape is not black, Sirius is black" lol

[Nahum.-Matthew.]

Peter Dinklage will probably play Hagrid while Shaq O'Neal plays Professor Flitwick.

[britneywilksrandles]

Adam Driver is the only person I’ve ever pictured trying to put on the character of Snape after Alan Rickman

[DeviousFink]

If they make Snape black, it's gonna make the Maurauders look like a bunch of racists. They need to tread SO CAREFULLY here, before they change the whole course of HP history.

[timbotron]

Why not offer him the role of Kingsley Shackelbolt? He's a young-ish black man already in the source material who everyone agrees is badass

[light-wolfred]

I think its perfect casting. We need to now have a chinese Ron with a heavy accent, a man to play Hermione, Dumbledoore an eskimo, Harry an American with a texas drawl, Malfoy should be taken out entirely cuz he is white with white hair showing he had too much whiteness... Actually keep him since it shows whiteness as bad. BUT make adopted and his dad is from South America. They are changing stuff so may as well go all out. Make Hogwarts a school for technology instead of magic as well and the 4 houses are instead 3, now being Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Also Voldemort should be a pirate

[TheRealQuinten]

Every time a character is race or gender swapped I immediately boycott it and I remember the actor/ess’s name to avoid anything they are in for choosing to play a character they can’t portray.

[zalybrainlessgenius]

Change the ONE character who's actor looked 100% like the book version 😂 Rickman is simply too iconic.

[Roach]

The rumor is he will no longer be called Professor Snape and now will be called Progressive Snape. That’s just what I read.

[amiejohnston]

He’d definitely make a great Kingsley Shacklebolt who was a well respected Auror in the series. He was described as black (and was also black in the movies) and was such a cool character.

[Dpixtion]

So, When is the MLK story coming out with Matthew McConaughey staring as Martin Luther King Jr.?

[coryshea]

I’m so done with race swaps and all of the DEI inclusions. Stories need to be kept true to the lore and original story. People claim that, “it’s a fictional world so it doesn’t matter.” It in fact does matter because I guarantee you that they aren’t race swapping black characters for white actors.

[PuertoRicanPecan]

If they race-swap Snape, I will NOT watch. I will die on the race-swap hill.

[lexiejojofit]

My frustration is that they are forcing it. One of my favorite characters is black and his name is Kingsley. He is described to be calm, composed, and on that BUSINESS and eventually becomes Minister for Magic. No one seems to highlight that great character.

[-pinkbarbie-]

Wait a minute, how tf did they think a BLACK person was going to land in "how to train your dragon" when all of them are VIKINGS??? Vikings didn't even know black people existed