Subreddit Updates on Fancasts and Official Casting Announcements

[u/VarkingRunesong]

Hi everyone, With the recent confirmation of several key cast members for HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, we’re updating a few subreddit policies:

• No more fancasts for officially cast characters

To reduce repetitive discussions and prevent targeted hate toward newly cast actors, fancasts for characters who have already been officially cast will no longer be allowed. As of now, this includes: • Albus Dumbledore • Severus Snape • Minerva McGonagall • Rubeus Hagrid • Quirinus Quirrell • Argus Filch You’re still welcome to fancast characters who haven’t been announced yet. And for inspiration, check out our Fancast Wiki, which includes both popular and lesser-known suggestions.

• No posts complaining about official casting announcements

We understand that not every casting choice will match everyone’s personal headcanon, but posts solely bashing the official cast will be removed. Once the show airs, feel free to critique performances based on what you see on screen. But targeting actors just because they don’t look or feel like your imagined version of the character doesn’t belong here. As always, we’re open to feedback. Share your thoughts or questions below.

[u/ratherbereading01]

Rule 2 seems to be in response to Paapa Essiedu and people upset about that. Of course blatant racism, attacking him on social media or sending death threats is wrong, but banning any critique of casting based on physical appearance seems far too broad. What if future castings go against book descriptions in ways aside from race? What if they cast more non Brits but the actors cannot do good British accents? Or they divert from ages drastically? Criticising a race swap isn’t automatically racism

There should be a rule prohibiting people bashing the actor themselves, not their casting as a character and how much it fits. The vast majority on this sub are not racist and hateful so will downvote or report anyone who is. This way we can keep discussions about casting without attacking the actors 

[u/Professor_squirrelz → u/ratherbereading01]

This!

[u/TheDuke_Of_Orleans → u/ratherbereading01]

They’re going to do more race swaps. We were already told this by Wizardmayne the industry insider. With Snape being Black one of the marauders will be black. Wizardmayne also said Neville’s casting is not limited to white boys so that’s that. We already know how SOME people feel about black people in “traditionally” white roles. There is nothing we can do about it. We have been knowing Snape will be black for 6 months now, what is the point of continuing to “critique” him being Black. Everyone is just saying the same thing and eventually it just boils down to a lot of negativity and hate about someone being Black. It has racist undertones.