The surprise release of the first teaser trailer for HBO Max’s new Harry Potter series – and the news that it will air at Christmas, much earlier than expected – sparked magic this week. Tens of millions of people watched the two-minute advert within 24 hours; social media was full of clue-hunters dissecting each frame, and thousands of Reddit threads sprang up for lengthy discussions about everything from the new cast to the lighting.
There is great excitement about a new screen adaptation of a collection of books that, let’s not forget, only ended its film run 15 years ago. Even by the standards of current Hollywood, which has become a remake machine, it feels rather soon to be returning to Hogwarts. Nevertheless, you wouldn’t bet against it breaking streaming records and becoming the TV event of the decade.
It is notable that the hype exists despite opposition to its creator, JK Rowling, whose gender-critical views have brought her into conflict with both pro-trans activists and those who worked on the original film franchise – as well as those who have nothing to do with the Potterverse. For instance, erstwhile Spider-Man Andrew Garfield said on Friday that watching the films now is “controversial” because it rewards “she that shall remain nameless”, while Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan said that she would not “touch it [the new series] with a 10-ft pole” after Rowling celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling on gender last year.
But Harry Potter has proved it can survive cancel culture, and the longevity of Rowling’s boy wizard seems as assured as the works of classic children’s authors such as CS Lewis and Enid Blyton.
In June 2020, the author published a lengthy essay titled JK Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking out on Sex and Gender Issues, which sparked outrage among certain sections of her fanbase – and the actors whose careers were made in the film adaptations of her books, most notably Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger – because they thought she was prejudiced against trans people.
Despite the many (many, many) column inches and social media posts filled with invective against JK Rowling, the Potter juggernaut continues to roll on unimpeded. Theme parks based on the Wizarding World (there are four across the world, including two in Asia) are consistently full; a new set of audiobooks, complete with an A-list cast of dozens, have proved a hit; the original books are one of publisher Bloomsbury’s biggest cash cows, with new copies flying off the shelves.
To date, more than 600 million copies of the books have been sold worldwide. Then there is the 2023 video game, Hogwarts Legacy, which sparked an online debate as critics tried to get it cancelled. Within its first few months, it had generated more than $1bn (£750m) in sales.
It was speculated that Rowling’s notable absence from a 2022 HBO special, which reunited the cast and crew of the original films to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in cinemas, was a result of the brickbats she had faced. But Entertainment Weekly reported at the time that she and her representatives had decided archival footage was sufficient.
For those opposed to cancelling people for their sincerely held beliefs, it ought to be cheering to know that the Potter-industrial complex has found itself seemingly immune to the bullying faced by the author. Rowling can lay claim to having won the culture wars.
That said, the run-up to the launch of HBO’s decade-long series will surely be peppered with its stars being asked about, and giving their views on, J K Rowling’s personal opinions. Not least because the original film leads Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint – as well as Eddie Redmayne, who starred in the prequel series Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – have publicly set their noses against Rowling.
Indeed, it has already been happening for months. John Lithgow, the American actor cast as Albus Dumbledore, told last month’s Rotterdam Film Festival that he found it “ironic and somewhat inexplicable that Rowling has expressed such views”, and that accepting the role had been a “hard decision”.
A friend with a trans child had urged Lithgow, 80, to drop out as a protest against Rowling, who serves as an executive producer on the series. “It upsets me when people are vehemently opposed to me having anything to do with this,” he added. “But in Potter canon you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity. She has written this meditation on kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role,” he said. “It made me uncomfortable and unhappy that people insisted I walk away from the job. I chose not to do that.”
Other stars of the new series have felt compelled to speak out – and have been on the receiving end of hostile treatment from trans activists for involving themselves in anything connected to JK Rowling. Nick Frost, who plays Rubeus Hagrid, told The Observer last June that he had to turn comments off on his social media accounts because of the backlash to his involvement in Rowling’s world. “She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine; they just don’t align in any way, shape or form,” he said.
A couple of weeks after being cast as Severus Snape, Paapa Essiedu signed an open letter that criticised the Supreme Court’s decision on gender and sex, in what was seen by some as an implicit rebuke of Rowling. “My points of view are mine and will continue to be so. I signed that letter because I believe that artists in the trans community have a right to be treated with dignity and should be able to work without being intimidated,” he said. “I have been really supported by the production team and I’d sign that letter again today.”
Rowling was magnanimous when she was asked if Essiedu deserved the sack for signing the pro-trans letter last year. “I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series, and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did,” she posted on X last May, in response to questions about Essiedu. “I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”
Michelle Gomez, who plays Minerva McGonagall in the new audiobooks, released a statement last year to let her trans and trans-supporting admirers know that she understood why her involvement would be “painful for many” and that, when she accepted the role, she did so “as someone who has always loved the stories and what they meant to so many”.
The gender issue is not as all-consuming as habitual internet-dwellers may think, however. Keira Knightley, another star from the audiobook cast, was asked about calls to boycott JK Rowling and her work last year and said that she was “not aware” of the furore.
“I was not aware of that, no. I’m very sorry. You know, I think we’re all living in a period of time right now where we’re all going to have to figure out how to live together, aren’t we? And we’ve all got very different opinions,” Knightley said in October. “I hope that we can all find respect.”
Knightley sparked headlines when she gave those quotes, but hers will be a position shared by millions. Many people frankly do not care about Rowling’s personal views, but think her career-defining work is worth celebrating. It is why Harry Potter will surely continue to bewitch generations of children to come.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will launch on HBO Max at Christmas
While I reblog this awesome article with an awesome tile I will not say anything else except that I want two quotes to stick out to you here:
“But in Potter canon you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity. She has written this meditation on kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role,” he said. “It made me uncomfortable and unhappy that people insisted I walk away from the job. I chose not to do that.” - John Lithgow.
“Rowling was magnanimous when she was asked if Essiedu deserved the sack for signing the pro-trans letter last year. “I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series, and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did,” she posted on X last May, in response to questions about Essiedu. “I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”
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