HBO faces fan outrage over ‘Harry Potter’ reboot casting choice

HBO's recent casting decision for its upcoming "Harry Potter" series has sparked controversy online, with fans criticising the selection of Italian actress Alessia Leoni to play Parvati Patil, a character of Indian origin from the original books and films.

Leoni's casting as Parvati—originally portrayed by Shefali Chowdhury in the films—has drawn backlash from fans who argue that the role should have gone to an actress of Indian descent. Sitara Shah had previously played Parvati's twin sister, Padma Patil, in the film series. 

One frustrated social media user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Why cast an Italian who simply looks brown instead of hiring an actual Indian actress? So much for diversity, HBO. No hate to the actress, but still." A different user added, "Alessia Leoni is beautiful, but I hope she's actually of Indian heritage. Were there no brown girls available to audition?"

This isn't the first time HBO's casting for the reboot has been challenged. The decision to cast Black British actor Papa Essiedu as Severus Snape—originally portrayed by Alan Rickman—also stirred controversy. Similarly, the choice of Arabella Stanton to play Hermione Granger received mixed reactions, with some fans upset about her ethnicity.

One longtime "Harry Potter" enthusiast expressed concern, saying, "It feels like they just chose a girl with brown skin and called it representation. There's barely any information about her heritage. Was it really that difficult to find an Indian actress for Parvati?"

Reddit users also weighed in on the debate. "Did they really just cast an Italian actress to play one of the very few Indian characters?" one asked. Another added, "I'm tired of Hollywood giving these roles to biracial or half-white Desi actors." A particularly frustrated Redditor called the casting a "total joke," writing, "Heaven forbid they actually cast a fully South Asian actress."

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Some users speculated that Leoni might have Indian ancestry. One person noted, "She looks Desi in the casting photos. I commented elsewhere that some Indian Catholics have Latin-sounding names. I knew someone from Goa with a similar name."

Along with Leoni's announcement, HBO also revealed other new cast members for the series, including those playing the Dursleys, Malfoys, and additional supporting roles such as Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, and Cornelius Fudge.

The casting list includes Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.

HBO also recently unveiled the new trio of lead characters: Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley—a casting decision that has largely been met with approval from fans of the book series.

The television reboot of "Harry Potter", announced in 2021, aims to be a faithful reimagining of JK Rowling's beloved novels. The first season is slated for release in 2026.