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Casting a black actor as Snape in upcoming Potter series is just awful

Posted on 4/14/25 at 1:50 pm
Posted by cbtullis
Atlanta
Member since Apr 2004
6692 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 1:50 pm
When HBO announced this series they said they were doing a season per book to make it as detailed as possible and keep to the original books.
The books are very clear about Snape being a white man.
Not a good start at all for keeping it relevant to the books

Potter fans already up in arms big time
Posted by Corinthians420
Iowa
Member since Jun 2022
12633 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 1:52 pm to
quote:

Not a good start at all for keeping it relevant to the books

Must've meant in terms of plot rather than looks. I have a bigger issue with the Dumbledore casting for a show that will take 10+ years to film
Posted by cbtullis
Atlanta
Member since Apr 2004
6692 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 1:53 pm to
That’s a good point as well
Posted by Lawyered
The Sip
Member since Oct 2016
34485 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 1:53 pm to
Wanna send a message ?

Dont watch .

They know they can frick with the casting for inclusivity and diversity and people will watch because people will want the nostalgia and the Harry Potter name

Posted by lsupride87
Member since Dec 2007
103844 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 1:56 pm to
Fictional book characters race literally doesn’t matter to me at all unless race was a character trait that mattered

Race was completely inconsequential in the harry potter universe
Posted by RollTide1987
Augusta, GA
Member since Nov 2009
68288 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 1:57 pm to
quote:

I have a bigger issue with the Dumbledore casting for a show that will take 10+ years to film


Same.

While I have a very big issue with Snape's casting, I think casting John Lithgow as Dumbledore shows an absolute lack of foresight. He is going to be 80 years old here in a few months and will be 87 at minimum when season seven wraps production. Once we get up into our late-70s tomorrow becomes less of a guarantee with each passing day.

The original Dumbledore, Richard Harris, was I think 69 when he was cast and he died at the age of 72.
Posted by AkronTiger
Rubber City
Member since May 2021
2279 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 1:59 pm to
quote:

Race was completely inconsequential in the harry potter universe


Well, it could meaningfully change Snape’s overall arc if his difficulties with his classmates (James in particular) are made to relate to his race. Not sure if they’ll choose that route.
This post was edited on 4/19/25 at 1:50 pm
Posted by LouisianaLonghorn
Austin, Texas
Member since Jan 2006
15092 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 2:02 pm to
quote:


Fictional book characters race literally doesn’t matter to me at all unless race was a character trait that mattered

Race was completely inconsequential in the harry potter universe


In the Harry Potter books, Severus Snape is described as a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair.

Kinda sounds like a pale white dude to me. It's tough for a dark-complected person to be described as having sallow skin.

Hermione being black is expected, as she's been played by a black actress ever since the stage show began.
This post was edited on 4/14/25 at 2:04 pm
Posted by iwyLSUiwy
I'm your huckleberry
Member since Apr 2008
38065 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 2:02 pm to
100 pages
Posted by deltadummy
Member since Mar 2025
149 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 2:23 pm to
Potter fans up in arms?
Same ones up in arms about the author's stance on certain issues?

Haven't read the Potter books. Is Snape's race important to any dialogue/action that drives any part of the story/arc/etc? Is sallow skin the only reference? Us Dark Tower fans were fairly livid with the decision to cast Elba as the Gunslinger since so much of the relationship between the Gunslinger and another major character was based on him being white and her being black. Even if the movie had received decent reviews, not sure I would've seen it, but the horrible reviews made the decision easy.
Posted by Esquire
Chiraq
Member since Apr 2014
13379 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 2:40 pm to
Here are the other confirmed castings. First I read about Quirrell and Filch.

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This post was edited on 4/14/25 at 2:41 pm
Posted by Kracka
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since Aug 2004
41564 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 2:42 pm to
They are following the Disney playbook.

Posted by LB84
Member since May 2016
4060 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 2:47 pm to
Rowling is still alive. It's her choice to sell the product as she wants. If she is okay with it I'm not going to be bothered. When the works of authors who have passed are being changed bothers me more.
Posted by Broski
Member since Jun 2011
76273 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 2:47 pm to
Imagine if the M/TV board existed when they announced Will Smith was playing Jim West.
Posted by Archie Bengal Bunker
Member since Jun 2008
15529 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 2:49 pm to
I can’t believe HBO has made a black man the bad guy.
This post was edited on 4/14/25 at 7:29 pm
Posted by Fun Bunch
New Orleans
Member since May 2008
123310 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 2:55 pm to
quote:

Fictional book characters race literally doesn’t matter to me at all unless race was a character trait that mattered

Race was completely inconsequential in the harry potter universe


Making Snape black has unfortunately severe implications for his relationship with James Potter and Harry Potter.

Some of the things both characters say will not take on other, unnecessary connotations
Posted by Corinthians420
Iowa
Member since Jun 2022
12633 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 3:06 pm to
quote:


Haven't read the Potter books. Is Snape's race important to any dialogue/action that drives any part of the story/arc/etc? Is sallow skin the only reference? Us Dark Tower fans were fairly livid with the decision to cast Elba as the Gunslinger since so much of the relationship between the Gunslinger and another major character was based on him being white and her being black. 

Not really. Fun Bunch will swear up and down that this scene couldnt be portrayed in any way that James doesnt look like a racist if Snape is black. Which seems naive to me, especially if one of the Marauders is also black
quote:

During a break from testing in their fifth year, the group of Gryffindor friends known as the Marauders – James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black – are sitting outside on the Hogwarts grounds near the lake with their classmates. James releases and catches a stolen Snitch, Remus studies, and Sirius Black taunts Peter Pettigrew for being “thick” on an exam question about a werewolf. When Sirius complains about boredom, James spies one of their favorite targets, Severus Snape, sitting alone and decides to start a confrontation with him.

Shouting out their favorite nickname for Snape – “Snivellus” – James disarms him with “Expelliarmus,” and uses the Impediment Jinx to make him fall down. As other students gather around watching their victim struggle on the ground, Snape begins to shout curses and hexes at James, who then casts “Scourgify” to fill Snape’s mouth with pink soap bubbles, gagging him. At that point, Snape’s childhood friend from Cokeworth, Lily Evans, comes forward and tells them to “Leave him alone!”

As Lily tells James off, Snape manages to get his wand back and hits James in the face with a cutting spell, possibly Sectumsempra. Angered, James retaliates with a silent “Levicorpus,” turning Snape upside down and allowing everyone to see his underpants. Lily again intervenes and makes James release him, but the harassed Severus made a dire mistake and yells “I don’t need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!” That was to be one of the greatest regrets of his life, and a major reason his friendship with Lily soured.

Trying to make Snape apologize, James turns him upside-down again, and as Lily walks away, James threatens to de-pants him in front of the crowd (OP28).


Thats the only scene in the books we see james bullying snape. Shouldn't be hard to execute it in a way where James doesnt appear to be bullying him because of his skin color, because he isnt in the books.
This post was edited on 4/14/25 at 3:23 pm
Posted by Stonehog
Platinum Rewards Club
Member since Aug 2011
33744 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 3:21 pm to
quote:

Casting a black actor as Snape in upcoming Potter series is just awful


I think it's worse that they got a Norwegian girl to play Ching Chong.
Posted by Dam Guide
Member since Sep 2005
16241 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 3:21 pm to
quote:

Not really. Fun Bunch will swear up and down that this scene couldnt be portrayed in any way that James doesnt look like a racist if Snape is black. Which seems naive to me, especially if one of the Marauders is also black


This is my big problem with it. It raises a lot of issues with the relationships between the marauders, Lily, and Harry himself. Snape is the half blood prince that plays into the blood supremacy nonsense. It's going to effect these relationships in a big way if you start introducing racial relationships into it as well.

Of course they want the more nuanced racial discussions coming from this, I just want something faithful to the books. I guess we just won't get that and reviving the series is pointless since everyone wants to add their own spin and not give the fans what they actually want, which is the books...
Posted by lsupride87
Member since Dec 2007
103844 posts
Posted on 4/14/25 at 3:41 pm to
quote:

In the Harry Potter books, Severus Snape is described as a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair. Kinda sounds like a pale white dude to me. It's tough for a dark-complected person to be described as having sallow skin.
Im saying it matters zero though

Race is really non existent in age created wizard world. They don’t care about it at all and not once does a character ever mention or acknowledge race. It’s of complete non importance

Changing any of the Weasleys race would be an issue as it’s a part of their story arch. The red hair is integral to their family
This post was edited on 4/14/25 at 3:45 pm
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