Harry Potter’s Remake Should Expand On The Most Interesting Part Of Snape’s Backstory

The Harry Potter remake should dig deeper into the most interesting part of Severus Snape’s backstory — and it’s not his connection to Lily Potter or the Marauders. Snape is one of the most important characters in the Harry Potter books, which is why it’s so crucial for HBO’s upcoming remake to get his portrayal right. Fortunately, the Harry Potter TV show’s Snape casting rumors bode well, as Paapa Essiedu is a promising candidate for the role. Bringing him on board would also fix a Marauder movie complaint.

But the upcoming Harry Potter TV show shouldn’t just be concerned with nailing the characters’ book depictions; it should also strive to dig deeper into the source material’s main and supporting cast. A TV medium offers more room to expand on the Wizarding World and Harry Potter‘s original story. While too many deviations from the books would be unwelcome, the extended runtime gives the creators a chance to explore existing characters and storylines in more depth. This includes Snape, and there’s one part of his backstory the HBO series should show more of.

The Most Interesting Part Of Snape’s Backstory Isn’t His Connection To The Marauders

Part of what makes Snape such an interesting character in the Harry Potter books is that he isn’t exactly a villain — but he also isn’t someone who makes a great first impression, as he has a deep-seated hatred for Harry. This is because of Snape’s connection to Harry’s parents. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban reveals that Snape’s relationship with James Potter was more than a little strained. In fact, James and the other Marauders spent a lot of their time at Hogwarts bullying him.

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One Detail Of The Harry Potter Remake’s Snape Casting Will Make His Story More Tragic Than The Movies

Already a tortured and misunderstood character, Snape is a complex figure in Harry Potter. The TV show’s casting indicates a tragic arc for Snape.

Snape’s hatred of James was made worse by Harry’s father ending up with Lily Evans. It’s not revealed until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but Snape’s history with Lily is why he turned away from Voldemort and the Death Eaters — and why he has such a complicated relationship with Harry. All of these twists make sense of Snape’s actions throughout the fantasy series, but they aren’t the most interesting part of the character’s backstory. These forces drive his actions throughout Harry’s narrative, but it’d be fascinating to dig into his psyche before he left the Death Eaters.

Harry Potter’s Remake Should Expand On Snape’s Early Days As A Death Eater

There’s A Lot To Unpack About Snape Joining Voldemort’s Forces

The Harry Potter remake must explore James’ relationship with the Marauders if it wants to remain faithful to the books, but it should also dig into the most intriguing part of his history: his time as a Death Eater. We know that Snape joined the Death Eaters as a young man, likely not long after he graduated from Hogwarts. The books also tell us that he eventually learned of Trelawney’s professor and how it targeted Lily, leading him to turn on Voldemort and become a double agent.

However, there isn’t much exploration of how or why Snape became a Death Eater, nor is there any discussion of whether he had doubts before the prophecy. In general, Harry Potter‘s villains aren’t given the most complex motivations. If anything, it appears that Snape is a Death Eater because he was a Slytherin — and it was convenient for the story. If being bullied, being influenced by his family, or being rejected by Lily contributed to his decision, it’s only explored minimally in the Harry Potter books and movies. The TV remake can change this.

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How Snape Is Described In The Harry Potter Books (& How The Movies’ & Show’s Actors Compare)

With HBO’s Harry Potter show in development, casting is a top concern, and many may be wondering what the source material says about its characters.

By dedicating an episode or two to Snape’s backstory, HBO’s Harry Potter remake can reveal why he joined the Death Eaters and whether he had any reservations about it. Painting him as a more layered character would make his story more believable, and it would make him more sympathetic once he makes the right choice. It would also open the door for Harry Potter to tackle important conversations about extremism and the circumstances that push people towards it. And, of course, it would push back against all Slytherins being bad for the sake of it.

The Harry Potter Series Can Show Snape Learning Occlumency & Being A Double Agent

This Would Make For A Thrilling Storyline

While Snape becoming a Death Eater opens the door for relevant discussions in the Harry Potter TV show, it would also be exciting to see his turn against Voldemort. The books and movies only show Snape pleading with Dumbledore, but they don’t dive into how he learns Occlumency and embraces his role as a double agent. Being an Occlumens in the Wizarding World isn’t easy, so this must have required some serious dedication on Snape’s part. It also must have been dangerous in the beginning, as Voldemort could have discovered him when he was inexperienced.

Needless to say, this would be a more thrilling part of Snape’s backstory for the Harry Potter show to cover. It would also offer the opportunity to depict Snape’s growth entirely, rather than showing him as a child and then telling us about how he became the Hogwarts professor Harry meets in Sorcerer’s Stone. This is the sort of in-depth characterization that the HBO show should use its extended runtime for, and Snape is a prime candidate for such a thing.

Expanding Snape’s Backstory Can Also Flesh Out Another Important Death Eater

The Harry Potter Remake Could Expand On Regulus Black Through Snape’s Story

Expanding Snape’s backstory in the Harry Potter remake would allow for a fascinating study of the character, and it would also give the series an opportunity to explore another underused Death Eater. Sirius Black’s brother, Regulus, would likely have been part of Voldemort’s following around the same time as Snape, as he’s only two years younger than the Marauders. And while the books and movies give Regulus a big role in the sense that he steals Voldemort’s locket, he doesn’t actually get much attention outside of that.

By showing Snape’s time as a Death Eater, the upcoming HBO show can explore younger versions of Death Eaters, and characters who aren’t around for the original story, like Regulus. This would add layers to the hunt for the Horcruxes, Sirius Black’s backstory, and Voldemort’s history in the Wizarding World. And expanding on all these elements will make the Wizarding World feel even more fleshed out than it is in the Harry Potter books and movies, potentially even opening the door for spinoffs of the upcoming TV show.

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Harry Potter is HBO’s remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling’s popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did. Upon the announcement of the Harry Potter TV show, the series received harsh criticism for the involvement of Rowling and for many thinking a reboot was unnecessary.

Main Genre

Adventure

Seasons

1

Directors

Mark Mylod

Showrunner

Francisca Gardiner

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