Paapa Essiedu, the actor who plays the role of Professor Snape in the upcoming ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, has not only been trolled on social media, but has also received death threats. Paapa Essiedu receiving death threatsAccording to recent reports, UK authorities are aware of the threats, although no formal police report has yet been filed. Hertfordshire Constabulary, which currently oversees the area where the series is being filmed, is monitoring the situation and working with the production team, Warner Bros. Including UK Studio, he confirmed to TMZ that he has been contacted.Paapa Essiedu has faced backlash over the Snape castingControversy erupted following Essiedu’s casting as Hogwarts’ iconic potions teacher, a role originally portrayed by the late Alan Rickman in the film franchise. The actress has faced backlash since her casting was officially announced. The issue escalated after the release of the first trailer, and Essiedu’s portrayal of Snape led to a number of racist comments.HBO officials confirmed on the news portal that security measures had been increased on the set.Paapa Essiedu on receiving death threatsEssiedu spoke about the threats made to The Times of London: “They told me: ‘Leave or I will kill you’.” And he added: “The reality is if I look at Instagram I’m going to see someone saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you’.”The Harry Potter trailer has broken recordsDespite the controversy, the ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone trailer’ broke records with 277 million views in its first 48 hours, making it the most viewed trailer in the platform’s history. The series stars a new cast including Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. It will be released on December 25, 2026, Christmas.
