The Harry Potter's casting rumors reveal the direction the remake is taking with characters like Snape, Dumbledore, Hagrid, and McGonagall. And the latest Snape update suggests the show could address a movie criticism.
According to description of Snape in the Harry Potter books — and about how he'll compare to the late Alan Rickman. Essiedu is more faithful to Snape's book description in one major way, however, and it means good things for the Marauders in the HBO show.
Paapa Essiedu Is Much Closer In Age To Book Snape Than Alan Rickman Was
Snape Is In His Early 30s In Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
Although Rickman was touted as the perfect Snape, the actor diverged from his Harry Potter character when it came to age. Snape was only 31 when the Harry Potter books opened, while Rickman was 54 years old in the Sorcerer's Stone movie. While the 20-year difference didn't prevent Rickman from excelling in the role, it was something viewers noted — and it wasn't just his character that was aged up. Alongside Snape, all the Marauders were older than they should have been, with stars like Gary Oldman and David Thewlis also being 10+ years their characters' seniors.
How Old The Harry Potter Cast Was Compared To Their Characters
Translations from book to film can be difficult for franchises, so how accurate was Harry Potter when regarding the ages of the actors and characters?
By contrast, Essiedu is currently 34 years old, making him far closer to Snape's age when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone begins. In general, the Harry Potter remake seems to be going for a younger cast, as the actors it's eyeing for Hagrid, Dumbledore, and McGonagall are all younger than their characters and the original actors who played them. This is a questionable choice when it comes to professors like McGonagall, but the trend works well for Essiedu's Snape. If the actor does take on the role, it means we'll finally be getting age-accurate Marauders.
Harry Potter's Rumored Snape Casting Means The Remake Is Fixing A Marauder Complaint
While actors like Rickman, Oldman, and Thewlis will be forever associated with their Harry Potter characters, the decision to age up the Marauders in the movies was still a head-scratcher. It received criticism, though not enough to tarnish their legacies. The actors captured their characters well, taking the attention off of this book change. However, the Harry Potter remake offers an opportunity to deliver more faithful and age-accurate iterations of the Marauders. As Snape is the same age as them, Essiedu's potential casting suggests it will take advantage of that.
HBO's Harry Potter remake is expected to debut sometime in 2026.
And getting the Marauders' ages right is a good sign, as it will have a significant impact on their backstory. As many viewers are hoping the series will elaborate on their history — potentially even warranting their own full episodes in HBO's remake — it's important all of their ages align as they should. It will also benefit the Harry Potter TV show in another big way, as there's a reason the tragedy surrounding Harry's parents hits so hard in the source material.
Why Having Age-Accurate Marauders Is So Important For The Harry Potter TV Show
It Makes Their Lives & Deaths That Much More Tragic
Getting the Marauders' ages right might seem like a small detail, but it will actually make their narratives in the Harry Potter TV show more powerful. The betrayal and deaths of James and Lily will be terribly tragic, no matter how they unfold or who's playing the Marauders. However, part of what makes the Marauders' backstories so devastating in the books is the fact that they're all so young when Voldemort destroys their lives. James and Lily are barely into adulthood when they die, and much of their lives are spent in a world ravaged by war.
Part of what makes the Marauders' backstories so devastating in the books is the fact that they're all so young when Voldemort destroys their lives.
Even Sirius, Lupin, Snape, and Pettigrew all die fairly young, and none of them get the chance to live normal adult lives. Sirius spends most of his young adulthood in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit, and he dies not long after escaping. The prime years of Pettigrew's life are spent as a rat — perhaps deservedly so — and Snape and Lupin are riddled by loss and grief before they even turn 30. Needless to say, the Marauders' backstory will hit even harder with a younger cast, which is a positive thing for the Harry Potter TV show.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Harry Potter
- Showrunner
- Francisca Gardiner
- Directors
- Mark Mylod
- Writers
- sca Gardiner
- Franchise(s)
- Harry Potter
Cast
Dominic McLaughlinHarry Potter-
Arabella StantonHermione Granger
-
Alastair StoutRon Weasley
Albus Dumbledore
Harry Potter is HBO's remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling's popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did.
