A New Harry Potter TV series is about to premiere, but fans are threatening to boycott the broadcast in response to JK Rowling’s earlier online comments.
HBO and Discovery+ have partnered to develop a service called Max, and they’ve now revealed that our favorite wizards and witches will be returning to our screens when we return to Hogwarts.
According to a press release, the company will stay true to the source material – Rowling’s books – and will be produced in a style that Potter fans throughout the world will recognize.
CEO of HBO and Max content, Casey Bloys said: “We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way. Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros.”
Watch the following Harry Potter announcement:
The series will span a decade and feature an entirely new cast, but as exciting as this seems to some, others have threatened not to watch the show owing to Rowling’s involvement.
The world-famous author of the Harry Potter series has come under fire in recent years for a number of comments she has made that have led to her being labeled as transphobic, which she rejects.
In 2020, the British novelist enraged people by mocking the trans-inclusive term “people who menstruate” on her Twitter account.
People have expressed their displeasure with the new series, which Rowling is due to executive produce.
“Once again i’m begging you all: don’t stream this. don’t give any more time, attention, or money to anything harry potter related. [Rowling] has been reported to be profiting off of this. it’s all a money grab for fear of losing relevance. she’s a s*** human being. don’t support s***,” one person tweeted.
A second said: “Really hope people boycott [HBO] for deciding to fund JK Rowling’s bigotry. And for those who believe she’s done nothing wrong, I suggest you check out @HPANA who have ALL the receipts!”
Really hope people boycott @HBO @hbomax for deciding to fund JK Rowling’s bigotry.
And for those who believe she’s done nothing wrong, I suggest you check out @HPANA who have ALL the receipts! 🧾
— Ben L Maden (@blmaden) April 12, 2023
Variety questioned HBO CEO Bloys about the author’s opinions, but he avoided answering the questions.
“I don’t think this is the forum,” he said to the outlet. That’s a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated, and not something we’re going to get into.
“Obviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our priority – what’s on screen.”
With the series lasting a decade, we may get to see sections of the book that were not included in the films, such as the Hogwarts kitchen. However, fans will not be able to watch Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, or Emma Watson repeat their roles because they declined to participate in the movie.
Will you be tuning in to the new series? Tell us in the comments!
