HBO is quickly working to try to get deals done with two Emmy award-nominee actors for the pivotal roles of Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape for the Harry Potter series. For Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deadline is reporting that Janet McTeer is in negotiations. As for Professor Severus Snape, they’re in talks for a deal with Paapa Essiedu. They’re joining John Lithgow who was cast as Professor Albus Dumbledore. HBO declined to comment for this story.

“We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”

The new series is set to be a crown jewel in the HBO lineup for over a decade. It comes from Writer/Showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director/executive producer Mark Mylod. The original announcement of the show called it a faithful adaptation of the novels that will deep dive into each of the iconic books.

Essiedu isn’t as old as Alan Rickman was when he took the role. The series is going for their canonical ages, so that means several characters will be different than you remember from the movies. Severus Snape is Professor of Potions at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who eventually becomes Headmaster.

McTeer is younger than Maggie Smith when she was cast as Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall in the films over twenty years ago. The Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts, McGonagall also is the nurturing head of Gryffindor House and the Deputy Headmistress under Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Lithgow). In the Fantastic Beasts prequel films, the role was played by Fiona Glascott.

The Harry Potter TV Series will film at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, which is where the movies were shot, and is slated to debut on HBO in late 2026 or 2027. There have been an additional 32,000 kids that sent in audition tapes to play Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

Who Are Paapa Essiedu And Janet McTeer?

McTeer most recently starred in the Netflix series Kaos and was also in FX’s The Old Man. She has received an Oscar nomination for her role in Tumbleweeds. Her next project is in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. She has also won Tony and Olivier awards for her work on the stage.

Essiedu was recently on the Netflix series Black Doves and was in the film The Outrun. His next project is The Scurry. He also starred in the HBO/BBC limited series I May Destroy You.

We’ll keep you updated on all things Harry Potter when we get more news.

So, what do you think of this casting from the Harry Potter series?

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Source: Deadline

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