Yesterday, we saw the surprise announcement that Warner Bros. and HBO Max are developing a new live-action Harry Potter TV show. The story was broken by The Hollywood Reporter, who claimed that the studio is having “exploratory meetings” in order to figure out the format of the project. WB quickly released a statement saying “there are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform,” but the report is adamant that this is happening, stating that Warner Bros. see expanding the Wizarding World as a “top priority.”
That makes sense, too, especially as the Fantastic Beasts spinoff series is in a tight spot after the Depp controversy and the unexpected box office failure of the second instalment. But there’s an elephant in the room: creator J.K. Rowling’s reputation. Over 2020, the formerly beloved author alienated large portions of the Harry Potter fanbase with a series of transphobic statements, also causing many of the actors in the movies to criticize her.
Since then, her name has been mud online and diehard Potter fans greeted yesterday’s rumor with disdain, as you can see below:
man, a few years ago I would've lost my SHIT over an HBO Harry Potter show. I've been saying for a decade that it would be perfect for a long-form, high-budget series.
but since that show will put money into the pockets of an unapologetically transphobic piece of garbage… nty
— Ginny Di 🔜 PAX Unplugged (@itsginnydi) January 25, 2021
Listen, HBO, I grew up with Harry Potter as much as the next guy but I really don't need a new series, especially not one that's going to give royalties to JK Rowling, thanks
— PatchworkMelody (@PatchworkMelody) January 25, 2021
I love Harry Potter but if problematic JK Rowling is attached to the new series on HBO Max, y’all can keep it pic.twitter.com/49LGJ0mhF6
— Joshua Chenault (@joshuachenault1) January 25, 2021
As a kid, I always thought a Harry Potter series would be great and do the books justice, as it would have the potential to bring all the small details to life…
…now the thought of renowned transphobe JK Rowling growing in power and wealth revolts me. @HBO stop it. pic.twitter.com/Mqlr9sgabj— 𝓗𝓲𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝔂 𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓽𝔂 (@lha196) January 25, 2021
I could get on board with a Harry Potter HBO Max show if it starred trans actors/characters and none of the money went to JK Rowling.
And also if it shows us the giant squid in the lake.
— Dan Curtis Thompson (@dctcomedy) January 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/ariaforhypnos/status/1353807868198350849?s=20
https://twitter.com/holilollie/status/1353917548396388352?s=20
https://twitter.com/ohcoolnice/status/1353761886668517378?s=20
https://twitter.com/fearlys97/status/1353749373683949579?s=20
I've literally been asking for a HBO HP show and an open world game for a DECADE, and now both are in development AFTER JK Rowling reveals herself as a nasty ass transphobe. This truly is a cursed timeline.
— Sarah Katharine (@ssarahkatharine) January 25, 2021
In this house, what we’re not going to do is stream something on HBO MAX that has ties to JK Rowling.
— jes the human (@jesthehuman) January 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/GeekFreakBoutiq/status/1353779815288086528?s=20
It’s clear that Rowling has done serious damage to her image with her half-baked ramblings and I imagine Warner Bros. isn’t particularly happy that she’s single-handedly strangled the golden goose of the Wizarding World franchise and turned so many fans against it. As I see it, there are two ways forward on this.
One is for WB to distance themselves from the author and say she’ll have no involvement in the project (as the developers of the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy video game have done), though that may be contractually impossible. The other is to acknowledge that over twenty years they’ve had a good run, made billions of dollars, and that it’s time to put the Wizarding World on ice. Personally, I’ve got to agree with the fans on this one, as I’d have a tough time enjoying any new Harry Potter project after the crap Rowling spouted.
