The British actor has been cast as Severus Snape, the potions professor at Hogwarts. Alan Rickman played Snape in all eight Harry Potter films. Essiedu earned several nominations for his role in the BBC’s I May Destroy You and costarred with Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

The production — which is currently filming its first season — has cast Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, and Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley.

Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the original Harry Potter films, has spoken out about HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, promising that fans are in for a fresh take on the beloved franchise.