upcoming “Harry Potter” series on HBO Max has a lot it needs to overcome to be seen as more than just a cheap nostalgia play. For starters, it needs to circumnavigate mistakes J.K. Rowling made to the lore with the “Fantastic Beasts” prequels, and the actors need to stand out in the minds of fans compared to the solid performances across the board in the films.
Thankfully, while Alan Rickman’s take on Severus Snape is a highlight throughout the series, there’s reason to be optimistic about what Paapa Essiedu, who was among the first crop of actors announced for the series, could bring to the role. If you don’t believe us, check out a stellar sci-fi series on Netflix, “The Lazarus Project,” to see what Essiedu can do.
Essiedu plays George, a man who wakes up one day to discover himself in a time loop. He possesses a special gene that allows him to be aware of such time leaps, and he’s soon recruited into an organization that aims to avoid apocalyptic scenarios. If one such event occurs, then they reset the timeline to keep civilization going. Despite holding a 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Lazarus Project” was cancelled after two series.
That’s not stopping it from finding a new audience though. The show originally aired on the British channel Sky Max, but the second series was recently just added to Netflix. It was the sixth most-watched show on the platform for the week ending on July 30. Unfortunately, it does end on a cliffhanger that seemingly won’t get a resolution, unless it can become another show revived after cancellation. Even if it doesn’t, it’s worth watching to see why Essiedu is an exciting actor for Snape.
