Harry Potter HBO Series Finds Its Professors Snape and McGonagall

The cast for HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV show is rounding out into shape. Shortly after John Lithgow signed on to play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the network has found actors to portray two of the school’s most notable professors. According to Deadline, Janet McTeer, an acclaimed actress known for her Oscar-nominated turns in Albert Nobbs and Tumbleweeds, is negotiating a deal to portray Minerva McGonagall. For the role of Severus Snape, HBO has landed on Paapa Essiedu of I May Destroy You Fame. He previously earned BAFTA and Emmy nominations for his performance on that series.

It is important to note that contracts have not been finalized yet. HBO said in a statement, “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.” Still, barring something unforeseen, McTeer and Essiedu will be the next to join the Wizarding World.

The Harry Potter TV show, which aims to be a more comprehensive adaptation of the original novels, is targeting a release window of 2026 or 2027. HBO’s plan calls for it to run for 10 years, a sizable time commitment Lithgow addressed when he confirmed his casting as Dumbledore. The expectation is that production will begin later this year.

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Dame Maggie Smith portrayed Professor McGonagall in seven of the eight feature films released between 2001-2011. Snape, of course, was brought to life by Alan Rickman, who appeared in each installment of the movie series. Both were fan-favorites in their roles. Word of Essiedu’s involvement in the TV show was first reported back in December, when it was said HBO had offered him the role of Snape.

Notably, both McTeer and Essiedu are English actors, which will probably please Harry Potter fans. While Lithgow is a talented performer who would fit the part of Dumbledore well, his casting proved to be controversial since he’s American, breaking a significant casting rule from the movies. It’s also encouraging that these two have received numerous accolades throughout their career, illustrating HBO is attempting to target quality actors. Smith and Rickman became synonymous with their characters in the Harry Potter films, making it difficult to see anyone else as McGonagall or Snape. McTeer and Essiedu have a tall task ahead of them, but they’ve demonstrated that they have the ability to put their own stamps on the roles and make them their own. It’ll be interesting to see how their iterations compare to their cinematic counterparts; for instance, Rickman was 55 when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released, while Essiedu is 34, so TV viewers will be treated to a younger version of Snape.

As HBO moves closer to starting production, there should be more casting announcements made in the near future. There are still several key roles to be filled; previous rumors suggested Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein could be in the running for Hagrid. And, of course, fans are waiting to find out who will be the next Harry, Ron, and Hermione. HBO conducted an extensive search for child actors for those leading parts. Hopefully, whoever is announced next is just as talented as the likes of Lithgow, McTeer, and Essiedu, ensuring these famous characters will be in good hands.