‘Serious Security Team’ Hired on ‘Harry Potter’ Set Over Death Threats

HBO HBO has revealed it has implemented a “serious security team” on the set of its Harry Potter TV reboot following death threats received by the actor playing Professor Snape. Paapa Essiedu, 35, revealed he had threats on his life following the announcement he was taking on the role of Snape in the new series, which is not due for release until 2027. “The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you,’” he told The Times of London this week. “While I hope I’ll be OK, nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job.” He added, “I’m playing a wizard in Harry Potter, and I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally." Speaking to Variety on Tuesday, HBO chief Casey Bloys said the reaction to the casting shocked him. He said shows with big intellectual property like Harry Potter mean you expect “passionate fans, people with a lot of opinions,” but added that, “it can get scary in places.” The studio chief admitted they had “anticipated” a backlash and ordered social media training on “how to handle it.” He added, “and obviously we’ve got a serious security team. So unfortunately, it was something that we thought might happen and we just try to be as careful as we can.” Essiedu is taking on the role made famous by Alan Rickman, who died in 2016. HBO’s Harry Potter is tipped to run for at least 10 years. “The idea is to have the freedom to let it breathe a little bit more and explore the world a bit more,” Bloys said. Read it at Variety Read more at The Daily Beast.

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