Latest news with #PaapaEssiedu
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Will HBO Now Have To Rewrite Awkward Hermione And Snape Storylines?
Hermione WB HBO finally announced who would play its core cast members, Harry, Ron and Hermione, in its upcoming Harry Potter series, a re-adaptation of the books, reboots the old series of films that rocketed its core cast to stardom. Now, fans fear culture war backlash for a few of the cast roles, namely Paapa Essiedu cast as Severus Snape, and now the young Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Essiedu is black, and while Stanton looks almost exactly like a young Emma Watson, it appears she isn't white, and that's enough to cause unfortunate controversy. The accusations of 'race swapping' originally white characters are frequent in media, and as a whole, not legitimate casting complaints. However, in this situation, because it is these specific Potter characters who are now not white, that raises questions about how specific bits of source material will be handled given the events that took place in the books and films, and how those might take on new, unforseen racial dynamics with this casting. For Essiedu's Snape, his story eventually leads to the revelation that he was relentlessly bullied by James Potter back in the '70s, hung upside down with magic at one point, and pining after Lily, James' eventual wife. That bullying and love triangle takes on a new dimension with Essiedu being one of the only cast members of color as now it's confirmed that will not be the case with either Potter parent. It's an uncomfortable dynamic when you think about how that's going to play out onscreen. For Hermione, we are going to get into awkward territory when there is an entire storyline about her starting a movement to free house elves from slavery, something that's laughed off by everyone else as a dumb cause. Past that, Hermione is a frequent target of attacks about her genealogy. She's called a 'mudblood,' an slur about her non-magical parents producing a magic child, but calling a young, non-white girl a 'mudblood' seems…different in that context. It is the case that the house elf storyline was already cut from the films, not for controversy reasons, but because there was just not enough time to include that side-story (though the big moment of Dobby being accidentally freed was still in the adaptation when it came time for that). As for Hermione being attacked for her heritage and Snape being bullied by James Potter, that seems harder to get around. One argument is that they can claim all this is actually a metaphor for racial injustice and that Harry Potter is being smart and progressive with that commentary, but it's impossible to believe that was ever the actual intent of the story. Sure, the Malfoys are in effect more or less pureblood Aryan stand-ins, but this is also a series that had almost no minority characters at all and none in major roles. It is laudable that the cast is going to be more inclusive, but with the specific characters that were chosen here, and only those characters, from what it seems, this is going to be more complicated than I think they realize, and we will have to see how this is handled. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Harry Potter's new Snape had a huge Netflix role you probably missed
Paapa Essiedu has been cast as Severus Snape in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series, but viewers may recognise him from a previous Netflix role The highly anticipated HBO series based on the magical world of Harry Potter has now officially announced its lead cast. After conducting auditions for over 30,000 actors, the coveted roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron have been assigned to Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout, respectively. Before this announcement on May 27, the showrunners had already selected an actor to fill the role of the much-loved character Severus Snape. Renowned stage and screen actor Paapa Essiedu is set to take on the role made famous by the late Alan Rickman. Some may know Essiedu from his recent appearance on the popular Netflix series Black Mirror. In Season 6's episode titled 'Demon 79', Essiedu portrayed the character Gaap, a flashy and satanic figure. In this episode, introverted sales assistant Nida Huq (played by Anjana Vasan) accidentally unleashes a demon that is only visible to her. She is told by Gaap that she must perform three human sacrifices within three days to prevent the apocalypse. Despite straying from Black Mirror's usual themes surrounding technology and instead venturing into the supernatural realm, 'Demon 79' managed to garner significant acclaim from fans and critics alike, reports Surrey Live. Essiedu and Vasan received positive reviews on their joint performance, with one online critic writing, "The chemistry between Anjana Vasan and Paapa Essiedu is spot on." Additionally, casual viewers shared glowing reviews of the episode on platforms like IMDb. One viewer was so impressed with the episode that they hailed it as the standout of the sixth season, remarking: "Almost as if it was a short film, by the end of this episode I was completely captivated by the two main characters. I was on the edge of my seat for most of it!" Their praise didn't stop there as they elaborated: "I honestly didn't really think much of it being different to the rest of Black Mirror (lacking the techy theme) as a few of the other episodes in the new season were similarly lacking and some really not as entertaining. This was the best episode of the season for me!" For those keen to familiarise themselves with the actor before his portrayal of Snape, delving into Black Mirror could serve as an excellent introduction.
Telegraph
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Pictured: New Harry Potter poses with stars of reboot
The new HBO Harry Potter series has revealed its three child stars. Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton will be Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout will portray Ron Weasley. Each season of the show will be a faithful adaptation of the books from the author and executive producer JK Rowling. Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod, the executive producers, said: 'After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione and Ron. 'The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen. 'We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.' HBO had previously confirmed that Severus Snape would be played by the black actor Paapa Essiedu, despite the character being described in the book series as having 'marble white' skin so sallow it was like 'sour milk'. Alan Rickman played the potions professor in the film adaptations. The announcement comes as Warner Bros, the parent company of HBO, promised the series would be 'authentic to the original books'. Rowling, who will be executive producer on the series, previously supported making the characters more diverse. She backed Noma Dumezweni to play Hermione Granger in the 2015 stage work of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione 😘 — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 21, 2015 Elsewhere in the television series, John Lithgow has been cast as the headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and Janet McTeer will play Minerva McGonnagall. Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod, Rowling's fellow producers, previously said: 'We're delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can't wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.' The TV series will be created over the course of a decade, with each series based on one of the seven novels.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BBC's 'most underrated drama' set to return for a long-awaited third series - after three years off screen
The BBC 's 'most underrated drama' is set to return for a long-awaited third series - after three years off screen. The Capture, first broadcast in 2019, follows DCI Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) getting to the heart of a different mystery in each six-part series. The first series of the thriller saw the officer investigate an ex-soldier (Callum Turner) accused of murdering his barrister after being acquitted of war crimes in Afghanistan - but the CCTV apparently capturing his violence is not quite as it seems. A hotly anticipated follow-up in 2022 saw a rising star politician (Paapa Essiedu) embroiled in a similar deepfake scandal - which the detective must expose. Fans doubted whether the surveillance thriller, created by BAFTA-winning Ben Chanan, would return to screens for a third series, after no word on the matter for some time. But around three years after the last instalment, it has been confirmed new episodes are in production, with the exact release date still to be determined. The new series is set one year on from the events of the previous season, which saw DCI Carey expose the UK intelligence service for using a video manipulation programme to distribute deepfake footage. During an inquiry into its unlawful use, she steps into a more senior role, increasingly focused on a dedicated initiative to regain public trust in surveillance technology. But after a high-profile terror attack, which has just one witness, the detective is once again tested on who or what she can trust, as she tries to uncover just how deep the conspiracy really runs. The BBC synopsis read: 'How do you protect the truth, in a world where lies are daily currency? And with the proliferation of deepfakes, how can we trust what we see?' Some stellar cast members will return for the new instalment, including British actors Indira Varma (Game of Thrones) and Ben Miles (The Crown and Coupling), with long-time Guillermo del Toro collaborator, American actor Ron Perlman. Irish actor Killian Scott, known for 2024 Netflix dark comedy Kaos, is one of several set to join the cast - but he will have a particularly 'pivotal role', the BBC said. Of her return as DCI Carey, Holliday said: 'I'm thrilled to be joining The Capture team once more for series three. 'Ben Chanan's scripts are as electrifying as ever and I'm excited to be stepping back into 'Commander' Rachel Carey's world. (Spoiler alert!)' The new series is set a year on from the events of the previous season, which saw DCI Carey expose the UK intelligence service for using a video manipulation programme Killian commented: 'I think Ben has created something really special with The Capture, a modern espionage thriller that feels both authentic and immensely captivating. 'I feel incredibly lucky to be joining the team for season three.' After The Capture was added to Netflix in January this year, it soon began to steadily climb the charts. It boasts a whopping 96 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes - and has developed somewhat of a cult fanbase, with fans expressing their appreciation on X. One said: 'The Capture is such an underrated BBC series. So far-fetched but brilliant.' Another added: 'BBC dramas are so underrated. The Capture is so good.' Someone else said: 'I just finished watching season two of The Capture (BBC/Netflix) and the writers were way ahead of their time because look at what AI is doing now.' Similarly, one commented: 'If you haven't seen it already, BBC One's The Capture is now on Netflix. Absolutely brilliant show about deepfake videos and surveillance.' The show has developed somewhat of a cult fanbase, with fans expressing their appreciation on X Fears around deepfake technology - clips, pictures or audio that have been manipulated, often very convincingly - have increased in recent years, with rising public awareness of artificial intelligence (AI). The programme's creator Ben told Radio Times in 2023 he felt the series spoke powerfully to those current issues: 'I think that the world of deep fakes and fake news and AI, it keeps developing. 'I think we went quite far with in terms of what the hell could happen next, in terms of the sort of fear of what could happen.' As to the possibility of a third series, he said at the time: 'I think we went quite far across the two series, and I almost feel sometimes like I need to take a minute and wait for the news to catch up or for predictions, nightmare predictions of what's next. 'Because it's not so much a futuristic thing, it's kind of a what's happening now thing, and so part of me feels like I need to take a break and unfortunately wait to see where the news takes us and where the world takes us and then respond.' It comes after it was announced another popular BBC drama is set to return to screens for the 'most high-stakes series yet'. Filming for the hit series Vigil is due to begin later this year in Scotland, with the third instalment of the police show airing in 2026. The Emmy-winning programme stars Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie as DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre. It follows the two detectives as they tackle a case at a remote Arctic research station where a member of a British special forces mission was killed. Nominated for a BAFTA in 2022, the new series is set to be packed full of action and cast members are buzzing to begin production. Rose said: 'I can't wait to get stuck into another season of Vigil, to work with the wonderful Suranne Jones again and our brilliant crew. 'And this time, Kirsten will get to pack her bags and join Amy on what's set to be Vigil's most high-stakes mission yet!' Suranne added: 'I can't wait to return to Vigil series three, see our brilliant team in Scotland and work with Rose again. I'm sure it will be a thrill of a ride.'
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
What JK Rowling said about Paapa Essiedu's role as Snape in Harry Potter series
JK Rowling has revealed her stance on HBO casting Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter series. The British actor became a subject of discussion online after the news about his new role broke. More recently, he made headlines for signing an open letter condemning the UK Supreme Court's ruling that trans women are not legally women. In response to his pro-trans move, the 59-year-old took to X to reveal if she would fire him from the show based on her famed book series. JK Rowling reveals if she would fire Paapa Essiedu from the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series 'I don't have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn't exercise it if I did. I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine,' Rowling wrote on X, as she shared an article about Essiedu being one of the 1,500 stars to sign the petition. Also Read: Victoria Beckham is living her 'worst nightmare' amid feud with son Brooklyn, Nicola Peltz Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film franchise, Bella Ramsey, Nicola Coughlan, Emma D'Arcy, Aimee Lou Wood, and Joe Alwyn were also among the hundreds of stars who signed the document titled, 'An Open Letter to Film and Television Industry Professionals and Cultural Bodies.' Also Read: Stylist for Simone Biles, Miranda Kerr manhandled' by police ahead of Met Gala 'We the undersigned film and television professionals stand in solidarity with the trans, non-binary, and intersex communities who have been impacted by the Supreme Court ruling on April 17th. We wish to add our voices to the 2000+ signatories of the Open Letter from UK Writers to the Trans Community published last week, and call upon members of our industry and cultural bodies to join us,' the letter reads.
