Jason Isaacs Calls Out "Racist" 'Harry Potter' Fans Over Paapa Essiedu Complaints
As mentioned, Alan Rickman previously played the part of Snape throughout every Harry Potter feature film, and some fans are hesitant about Paapa Essiedu playing the part. Of course, it's going to be difficult for any actor to live up to Rickman, but Isaacs is confident that Essiedu is perfect for the role. He expressed as much while speaking with Collider at Fans Expo.
Here's what Isaacs shared while discussing the actor and calling out the fans that have criticized his involvement:
'Paapa Essiedu is one of the best actors I've ever seen in my life. I've seen some people online who are being rude about him. What they're being is racist,' Isaacs said. 'All the cast of the new ' Harry Potter ' TV series are amazing. They will be swallowing their tongues, hopefully — you know, their digital tongues — when they see what [Paapa] does on screen.'
Of course, this isn't the only reason Essiedu has been a subject of conversation. He has also illustrated support for the transgender community, which Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has consistently found herself at odds with in recent years. Some fans even suspected that Rowling would have Essiedu removed from the television series as a result of his support, though that has yet to happen and Rowling has been adamant that she wouldn't have anyone fired for their personal beliefs.
The new Harry Potter television series is currently scheduled to premiere in 2026. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding this highly-anticipated project as we have them. It's a big undertaking to once again adapt the iconic books by J.K. Rowling, especially after the feature films became such iconic works themselves, but we'll have to see how this endeavor turns out.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Giant sea serpent sculpture lights up Golden Gate Park in ‘magical' debut
Under just a sliver of a moon Monday night in San Francisco, an overflow crowd turned the JFK Promenade into the Playa on the Pavement for the ceremonial lighting of a giant Burning Man sea serpent that has found its way to Golden Gate Park. After a two-hour buildup, the switch was thrown just before 9 p.m., and blinking purple and green LED lights illuminated the aqua-colored 100-foot-long, 25-foot-tall sculpture named Naga. Installed in the pond at the base of the Rainbow Falls, Naga is lit from within and periodically exhales bubbles through its nose. 'I got a contact euphoria from the whole show, like I was standing in the middle of a Harry Potter movie,' said Kat Anderson, president of the city's Recreation and Park Commission. 'It is one of the most magical things I've ever seen.' Naga, originally created for the 2024 Burning Man counterculture event in the northwestern Nevada desert, is the largest art installation ever in Golden Gate Park. A crowd estimated by a park ranger at 1,000 people came for the spectacle, many dressed in pirate attire to fit the seagoing theme, some with their hair dyed to match the serpent's scales. Cherie Defer, who described herself as 'a longtime fan of the serpent,' arrived with her hair streaked in turquoise and vowed to keep it that way 'for as long as Naga is with us.' This vow means a one-year commitment with a possible multiyear extension, which is how long the piece by artist Cjay Roughgarden will be in the park. It is handmade of aluminum scales over a steel frame, a process that cost $350,000 in grants, donations and private funding, and took a crew of artists and volunteers 35,000 man hours at Roughgarden's workshop, Seaport Studios in Richmond. Monday night's event was staged and hosted by Illuminate, the arts nonprofit behind the Bay Lights installation on the Bay Bridge. It was the second ceremony to mark the opening of Naga in Golden Gate Park. The first was a family event Saturday morning to celebrate completion of the project. Monday night's event was the adult celebration, heavy in Burners, as devotees to Burning Man call themselves. Naga premiered there on the desert playa, or dry lake bed, last Labor Day weekend, and fans came out to say hello on Monday night. 'I've seen it on the playa, but with the water it looks different,' said Maggie Li, who wore a jacket of fake turquoise fur, though she said it was merely 'on theme, not trying to match Naga.' She and Lauren Klein had come from the Mission District with a full picnic dinner, which they laid out on the grassy shoulder of JFK Drive. 'It's beautiful to see the serpent protecting Golden Gate Park,' said Klein. 'It's a sacred place.' Among the Burners in attendance were Sid and Karen Sijbrandij (pronounced, fittingly, as 'sea-brandy'), Dutch immigrants who were the lead sponsor of the sculpture through their philanthropy the Sijbrandij Foundation. 'We are aspiring to bring 100 pieces of big art to the city over the next three years,' said Sid, a 45-year-old software engineer who founded GitLab. To this end, he has partnered with art agency Building 180, and together they've installed eight works, including a 45-foot-tall wire mesh sculpture of a nude woman on the Embarcadero, and announced plans to add a dozen more installations on the San Francisco waterfront. Sijbrandij, who contributed $250,000 toward the installation of Naga in the park, set his minimum as pieces that are at least 10 feet tall or wide. 'Big art is underappreciated,' he said. 'It is out there and it brings people together.' He also only works with art that is already built and needs a second or third life, the first one usually being at Burning Man, which the Sijbrandis have attended five times. 'We focus on art that is in storage and nobody ever sees it,' Sijbrandi said. He noted that while thousands may see an artwork on the Burning Man playa, millions will see an artwork in the city. Naga is the last artwork you see moving west on the Golden Mile, a car-free stretch of Golden Gate Park that has been populated with public art curated by Illuminate. There are big yellow chairs along the way, and to promote it, Illuminate founder Ben Davis has taken to wearing only yellow. He did that Monday night as emcee for the event, while standing on a makeshift table, his yellow shoes and bandana offsetting a sea of aqua and turquoise. (The water that cascades from the 50-foot Rainbow Falls into the pond was its usual green to enhance the effect.) 'It's a privilege to come out and welcome this new icon to the 'City of Awe,' he said in his remarks, after 750 bubble wands were handed out to make the lighting participatory in the Burning Man spirit. Roughgarden, resplendent in a brocaded pirate's overcoat and head ornament, made introductory comments, during which she reminded the crowd that the installation is still in progress. The full artwork, titled 'Naga and the Captainess,' includes a shipwreck with seating and a play area, which will be added later. A fundraiser is ongoing. The crowd was far larger than anticipated, with some scampering up the hillside for an overlook. They had to wait for darkness on one of the few clear nights of what has been a foggy San Francisco summer. At 8:45 p.m., ethereal music was pumping from the DJ booth as Roughgarden led a countdown from 10. The serpent's eyes suddenly glowed and pulsed, alternating green and purple, while bubbles poured from its nostrils. The lighting happened in stages from head to tail, and by 9 p.m. it was fully twinkling, 753 lights in total. The LED scheme, by lighting designer Dan Rummel, is subtle enough that people who waited out on the JFK Promenade or on the grass on the far side of the street had to cross over and press up close to see the lights embedded in the serpent's scales and the reflection in the water. The paint job was by Tania Seabock. 'It's approachable and gentle and welcoming,' said Li, the picnicker who left her meal unattended to cross the street for an up-close look. Karen Sijbrandij, who wore a twinkling vest, was also satisfied with the show, which is expected to go until midnight, seven days a week. The scheme is energy efficient and taps into the park's source of street lighting power. 'How amazing was that?' she said. 'The detail of the lighting is mesmerizing.'
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Meghan Rafferty, ‘NBC Nightly News' EP, to Join Versant
The top producer of 'NBC Nightly News' is the latest NBC News staffer to join the company that is splitting off from NBC News — and taking employees and some critical revenue, as well as expenses, with it. Meghan Rafferty spent nearly four years as the voice in Lester Holt's ear as he anchored 'NBC Nightly News.' Now, with Holt moving on to a new role at the NBCUniversal news division, she will take on a new executive position at Versant, the company that is being spun off from NBCU later this year. More from Variety Versant Names Tom Rogers Senior Adviser Comcast Sets Board of Directors for Versant Spin-Off Company CNBC Shake-Up Has David Cho Replace Dan Colarusso as Editorial Chief Rafferty will join Versant as vice president of news standards, beginning in early September, helping to oversee the quality of reporting and content at flagship Versant properties like MSNBC and CNBC. It is not uncommon for the executive producer of a flagship broadcast news program to change along with a switch in anchors. Ben Mayer, a senior broadcast producer at 'Nightly' who has also worked on MSNBC morning programs with anchors including Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Kasie Hunt, will take on the show's executive producer role on an interim basis. Rafferty is the latest NBC News employee to move to Versant — a sign of the opportunities that the new company night offer some journalists and producers in a roiled media sector, but also of some of the worries NBC News staffers have about their fate once the corporate transaction is completed. There is growing speculation that the absence of MSNBC and CNBC from the NBCUniversal news operations could force a recalibration of resources, according to two people familiar with newsroom conversations. Among those who have left prominent role at NBC News in recent weeks are Brian Carovillano named senior vice president, standards and editorial Partnerships for news at Versant, and to whom Rafferty will report; Tom Clendenin, who had been CMO for NBCUniversal News Group, and who will take up similar duties for CNBC and MSNBC; and Jessica Kurdali, a senior talent-relations executive at NBCU's news properties, who was named senior vice president of talent strategy at Versant. Journalists who have jumped to Versant from NBC News include Ken Dilanian, Brandy Zadrozny, David Noriega, and Vaughan Hillyard. NBC News has long expected some staffers to find new opportunities at Versant, says a person familiar with the news division, and is 'supportive of their efforts and wishes them the best.' Prior to joining NBC News, Rafferty worked for CNN for a decade, working with anchors including Wolf Blitzer and Christiane Amanpour. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Heavy metal icon battling ‘devastating' form of cancer gets married
David Roach, the frontman for popular heavy metal rock band Junkyard, got hitched to his fiancée, Jennifer, amid the rock star's ongoing battle with cancer. Junkyard shared an Instagram post on Sunday, July 20 capturing the wedding with the description, 'Congratulations to the happy couple — Mr. and Mrs. David Patrick Roach." Roach's child, Ray, also posted about the wedding on Instagram with the caption, 'Did you know that you can get a free wedding venue if you just do it in the cancer center lobby after hours? Welcome to the Roach fam Jennifer!' The members of Junkyard attended the ceremony as well, according to both Instagram posts. Roach wrote in a Jan. 21 Instagram post that he was 'going through a medical issue that I'll be dealing with for at least a few more months.' Junkyard later announced in a Jan. 31 Instagram post that Roach was hit with 'an aggressive cancer diagnosis.' The singer was admitted to the hospital last month after experiencing a persistent fever and cough. 'We're still struggling to process the news we received on Tuesday,' a June 26 Instagram post from Roach and Jennifer read. 'We got results that have completely shattered our world. It's devastating and life-altering, and we're trying to navigate through the emotions and uncertainty that come with it.' Despite this uncertainty, Roach was 'showing such incredible strength and resilience,' according to the Instagram post. 'Even in the midst of this darkness, he's still managing to keep his sense of humor,' the post continued. 'It's a reminder of how amazing he is.' The band started donating a portion of every sale of their merchandise to help pay for Roach's medical expenses. The singer was also selling his plaque art to cover the cost of bills. Additionally, a GoFundMe was created in March to help the musician combat 'the financial strain from medical expenses and daily living costs.' The campaign has raised more than $35,000 to date. 'Your support means the world to David, and it will truly help him through this difficult period,' the GoFundMe reads. 'Thank you so much for showing him the love and kindness he deserves!' Junkyard formed in Los Angeles, California in 1987. The band, which is often compared to Guns N' Roses, possesses a 'raw and bluesy hard rock' sound 'with a metal accent and roots in hardcore punk,' according to AllMusic. Junkyard released four studio albums from 1989 to 1998 before going on hiatus. However, the members regrouped a few years later. Junkyard released its first new studio album in almost 20 years, 'High Water' in 2017, as well as their latest singles, 'Lifer' and 'Last of a Dying Breed,' in 2021. More music content Magical music of 'Harry Potter' will come to life at Springfield Symphony Hall Legendary Mass. satirist who sang of the joys of 'poisoning pigeons' dies at 97 Live Wire: Ware River Club celebrates 25th anniversary of second album Iconic metal group celebrating 25th anniversary with special album release Rock legend shares heartfelt message after canceling final show of career Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
