Photo Credit: HBO
As HBO continues to work on making a Harry Potter television series, there are a lot of mixed feelings brewing amongst fans.
Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO are currently working on a Harry Potter series that will star John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
The show is said to be a “faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series” that was written by J.K. Rowling, who also serves as an executive producer.
Why are Harry Potter fans feeling conflicted about the HBO show?
To say Rowling is a controversial figure would be an understatement. Since writing the Harry Potter series, she’s publicly voiced many negative views towards transgender activism and related issues. She recently openly gloated about a UK Supreme Court ruling regarding biological sex, which led Pedro Pascal to call her a “heinous loser.” Rowling then pretended not to know who Pascal is, which really didn’t fool anybody.
To make matters worse, Rowling has openly donated to organizations that have pushed the anti-trans agenda in the United Kingdom Supreme Court. It’s not clear how much money she stands to make off the Harry Potter show (or even if the amount of views the show gets translates into a larger sum of cash, given HBO doesn’t release those numbers), but if she is receiving a paycheck from it and then using it to harm trans adults and children, that’s something that shouldn’t go unnoticed. And since Rowling hasn’t been known to waver in her beliefs, letting HBO know that fans won’t stand for that kind of behavior may be the way to go.
Let’s make something abundantly clear: Trans rights are human rights. Rowling is wrong. You’ll never hear me say a bad word about anyone who decides to boycott the show because of her statements. And, if for some reason, you do have a problem with people boycotting it, it’s probably a sign that you need to look inward and do some self-reflection.
HBO has tried to distance itself from Rowling’s beliefs. CEO Casey Bloys recently told Puck, “The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us. We’ve been in business for 25 years. We already have a show on HBO from her called C.B. Strike that we do with the BBC. It’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She’s entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.”
Lithgow, meanwhile, also expressed surprise over the backlash he’s received since his casting was announced when speaking to The Times. “I thought, why is this a factor at all? I wonder how JK Rowling has absorbed it,” he said. “I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her.”
What are people saying about the Harry Potter show?
These aren’t necessarily the most sensitive or well-thought-out comments that Bloys or Lithgow could give. One would hope that they’d use the position they’re in to better advocate for trans rights rather than tell people to go debate her on Twitter. Or, you know, maybe just not produce the show in general.
Many people on X have, indeed, made it clear that they won’t be supporting the series because of Rowling:
i am extremely critical of the efficacy of boycott campaigns in general, but considering jk rowling is literally funding attacks against the lgbtq community with the proceeds of Harry Potter IP, this new show needs to be completely boycotted
— Patrick Lenton (@PatrickLenton) April 17, 2025It’s high time for a boycott of all Harry Potter things. HBO’s new show? Nah. Wizarding World at Universal? Hell no.
Time to cancel HBO Max memberships, stop buying theme park tickets, and making it clear that business with JKR means no profits for you.
I think the best part about this Harry Potter show is that they’ve been casting people for months now and they only have a handful of major roles booked. Only two known actors have signed on. Anyone who knows anything wants nothing to do with J.K. https://t.co/Md0BzRLe0B
— Rolo Tony (@PoorOldRoloTony) April 21, 2025The only way we can show we’re tired of JK Rowling is by icing Harry Potter-crazy people out. The other day someone at work said she was excited for the new HP and I swear everyone on the call looked at her like she had 3 heads
— Shoobz (@shOoObz) April 28, 2025Where do we go from here?
There is one thing worth remembering: J.K. Rowling is just one person. A cruel, seriously misguided person, but a single person nonetheless. Harry Potter wouldn’t exist without her, sure, and I certainly don’t love the idea of her getting any kind of royalties out of future Harry Potter projects.
But she doesn’t speak for everyone involved with the franchise. Many actors who starred in the Harry Potter movies have spoken out against Rowling’s views. Just recently, Essiedu signed a letter calling for industry action on trans rights. And those are just the people on the screen — Rowling doesn’t speak for the hundreds or thousands of people working behind the cameras on any Harry Potter movie or show, either.
Does that mean we need to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, toss Rowling’s comments to the side, and absorb the new Harry Potter show without discussing the much more serious, real-life matters that are at play? Absolutely not. Burying one’s head in the sand or turning a blind eye doesn’t fix anything. And being the ‘Can’t we all just get along and not discuss politics?’ guy doesn’t help, either, especially when Rowling, who still has a big following, is actively throwing hate speech out into the world on a daily basis.
It all points back to the “Can you separate art from the artist?” conversation that people have been debating for decades. Everyone has a different take on the matter, and it’s not my place to decide who is right and who is wrong — unless, of course, you share Rowling’s beliefs, in which case you are wrong.
It’s a tough topic. There are no easy answers. Just don’t pretend it’s not tough. Have these conversations with your friends and family members. You can’t control what Rowling says, but you can control what you do. If you’re going to watch the show, understand others won’t be and listen to what they have to say. If you’re going to boycott, inform others why. Neither Rowling nor anybody else online gets to make that decision for you. Don’t let her word be the final word.
And, never forget, trans rights are human rights.
The post Harry Potter Day: Fans Feel Conflicted Supporting HBO Show Due to J.K. Rowling appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
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