Harry Potter reboot: Fans slam HBO for casting Italian actor as Parvati Patil

The highly anticipated Harry Potter TV reboot has stirred a cauldron of controversy online following the announcement that Italian actor Alessia Leoni will portray Parvati Patil, a character originally introduced as an Indian witch from Hogwarts’ Gryffindor House.

Fans question diversity and authenticity as HBO’s Harry Potter reboot courts controversy over key character casting

On Monday, HBO unveiled a fresh batch of casting updates, including Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt and Johnny Flynn as Draco and Lucius Malfoy, and Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan. Also joining the ensemble are Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby as the Dursleys, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge. However, it was Alessia’s casting as Parvati that triggered a wave of backlash, with fans accusing the series of compromising authentic cultural representation.

The criticism has been swift and vocal, particularly from fans in South Asia. Many pointed out that Parvati Patil is one of the few named Indian characters in the Harry Potter universe—a detail that holds significant weight for fans seeking representation in Western fantasy franchises. “So much for diversity,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), echoing the sentiment of hundreds more.

This isn’t the first time the reboot has courted controversy. Earlier this year, HBO faced similar backlash after casting Black British actor Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, a role originally played by the late Alan Rickman. That decision sparked fierce online debates over creative liberty versus fidelity to character origins as written by J.K. Rowling.

For context, the original Harry Potter films had cast Shefali Chowdhury and Afshan Azad—British actors of Bangladeshi heritage—as Parvati and Padma Patil, following school-wide auditions aimed at discovering new talent from local South Asian communities. Fans felt this approach lent a sense of authenticity that has now been lost.

While some argue that actors should not be limited by ethnicity when portraying fictional characters, others stress that meaningful representation matters, especially for historically underrepresented communities. With HBO’s reboot already under the microscope, it remains to be seen whether the studio will address the growing criticism or stand by its casting choices. For now, the series—set to reimagine Rowling’s books over a decade-long span—faces an uphill battle not just to retell a beloved story, but to convince fans it’s doing so with integrity and cultural respect.