New Snape actor Paapa Essiedu addresses worried Harry Potter fans

Paapa Essiedu, the actor set to play Severus Snape in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series, has a direct message for fans who fear the show will ruin the franchise.

Per TVLine, Essiedu acknowledged the strong feelings some have. "There are people who have got such a tight and deeply felt connection to something that they believe is theirs," he said, adding that he understands it can feel like someone is trying to "break their thing." He assured fans that's not his goal, stating, "I'm not trying to break anybody's nothing."

He also pointed out that the original books and films aren't going anywhere. "After this, we're not going to burn the books. We're not going to remove the DVDs of the films. It's not the end of that. That all still exists," Essiedu said.

The actor, who was seven when the first book was released in the UK, grew up with the novels. He told Vanity Fair they were key to developing his love of literature. He also noted that the reaction to his casting hasn't been all negative, saying, "I got a lot of love as well. That really fuels me as much as the hate."