Numerous actors from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Eddie Redmayne, immediately spoke out in favor of trans and nonbinary rights and identity when J.K. Rowling first came out in June 2020 about her belief that transgender women are men and transgender men are women. MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron, two of the largest Harry Potter fan communities, condemned Rowling’s opinions and cut off communication with the author’s upcoming projects. While excluding Rowling and trans and nonbinary individuals, Warner Bros. released a well-crafted statement stating that “a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world.” This statement at least created a rhetorical separation between the studio and the creator of one of its most successful and enduring franchises.
The situation has changed significantly in the last four years. With a focus on HBO’s upcoming long-form TV revival of Rowling’s book series, Warner Bros. Discovery has aggressively expanded the reach of Rowling’s Wizarding World under new leadership. The showrunner, Francesca Gardiner, and director, Mark Mylod, are both Succession alumni. At a press conference on November 12, HBO CEO Casey Bloys informed reporters that Rowling was heavily involved in choosing the show’s writer and director and that her anti-trans remarks had no bearing on the show’s casting or employment of writers or production personnel. Additionally, a network representative told Variety that the network’s parent corporation has been collaborating with J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter franchise for more than 20 years, and her input has been crucial.
The statement went on to say, “We are proud to tell the story of Harry Potter once again. These endearing books speak to the power of friendship, resolve, and acceptance.” J.K. Rowling is entitled to voice her own opinions. We will continue to concentrate on the creation of the new series, which will only gain from her participation. (A representative for Gardiner did not reply to a request for comment; a representative for Mylod referred Variety to HBO.)
Rowling, on the other hand, has built her online image revolve around her fight against trans identity. She informed her 14.2 million followers on X about the U.K. open casting call for the parts of Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter on September 10. That was an anomaly: In order to bolster her belief—which she posted on October 7—that gender identity is essentially determined by an individual’s subjective feelings, or more precisely, their assertion that they feel those feelings, Rowling posted or reposted more than 200 times (not including replies) about transgender-related topics over the course of the following two months. She only made eight other posts or reposts regarding Harry Potter over that same period, one of which claimed that she had laughed at a fan who expressed their unfathomable disappointment that Rowling was, in her words, so involved with the Potter series. (Rowling declined to comment for this article through a spokeswoman.)
There has never been a situation in the industry when the sole creator of a well-liked, multibillion-dollar worldwide property has so openly jumped into one of the most divisive social topics in the culture. Many members of the core fans, whose dedication to the franchise began 25 years ago when they were young and continued long after the books and movie series ended, have effectively found her toxic. It has put those fans in a difficult situation: If they strongly disagree with Rowling’s ideas on gender identity, how can they watch the new series or any other version of the franchise?
According to Melissa Anelli, webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron and author of Harry, a History, the website hasn’t released an update for its well-liked podcast PotterCast since March 2023. We end up not publishing because every time we get together to have a lighthearted discussion about Harry Potter, the talk turns irate and melancholy, she says. It is no longer as pure, thrilling, and enjoyable as it once was. Now, there’s this layer of “right,” but the person at the core of it all thinks that a particular group of people isn’t genuine.
According to Kat Miller, coauthor of The Unofficial Harry Potter Companion and creative director of MuggleNet, fandom ten years ago was like a utopia. According to Miller, the Harry Potter novels and movies’ emphasis on equality and inclusivity drew in a core fan following that was primarily made up of women and extremely queer people who were united by their love of a story that had come to a thrilling and profoundly fulfilling end. According to Miller, she is primarily to blame for the fanbase’s current disintegration. Too many political issues are preventing the enthusiasm from reaching its full potential.
While Radcliffe has continued to express how deeply sad the author’s remarks on trans issues have made him, Rowling’s views have in fact prompted both dissent and sharp words of support. Potter stars Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, and Ralph Fiennes have all spoken out in favor of Rowling, and their responses to her on X are full of encouraging words. For her part, Rowling has stated that she is not worried about her gender activism having an impact on her legacy. In April, she made it clear that she would not pardon any creative partners who expressed views that differed from her own: Celebrities who supported a movement that aimed to undermine women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to encourage minors to transition should save their apologies for vulnerable women who depend on single-sex spaces and traumatized detransitioners. Rowling showed her conviction even this week when she chastised John Oliver, whom she met when he volunteered for her children’s charity Lumos, for supporting trans children participating in sports on his HBO series Last Week Tonight. The author termed this “complete bullshit.”
Rowling has set the bar high for any actor joining the upcoming Harry Potter series, which they are unlikely to surpass once the show’s casting starts in earnest next year, right before the incoming Trump administration is expected to begin enacting plans to weaken protections for trans youth and trans health care. If someone wants to do the job, you can’t blame them. However, Miller predicts that the fanbase, the internet, and the politics of it all will force them to say something. People are going to assume that you agree with Rowling if you don’t.
Although some Potter fans have called for a boycott of the upcoming series, Rowlingmockedin 2023, Anelli has begun to question its potential effectiveness. According to her, there is a claim that backing boosts Rowling’s influence. How much more she can have is beyond me. She views money as rather theoretical. What a raindrop does to a thunderstorm is in the stratosphere. Anelli claims that in the huge Potter industry of book sales, video games, theme parks, toys, and other ancillary money streams, the four years of fan uproar and rejection of her work have had no impact whatsoever on the bottom line. She believes that complete disengagement at this stage is counterproductive: If everyone who objects simply gets off the floor, we’re leaving [Rowling] alone with a microphone and no power to change that conversation.
Tylor Starr, a Potter fandom expert and co-author of The Unofficial Harry Potter Vegan Cookbook, was inspired by this possibility to conduct a confidential, unofficial survey of about 250 ardent Harry Potter fans regarding their opinions of Rowling and the series. He claims that 79% of cisgender respondents were undecided about purchasing a new Potter-related merchandise. Starr began looking into ways for fans to offset the cost of buying Potter-related materials as a result. “Is it possible to donate a portion of your purchase of a new wand to a transgender charity?” he asks. Many Harry Potter fans wish to participate in the fandom even when they strongly disagree with Rowling’s viewpoints.
Paradoxically, Rowling’s actions seem to have deepened the bonds among Potter fans, even as they have weakened their devotion to her. We didn’t want to be shutting down and abandoning the fandom, Miller adds. We recognize the worth of the fan-created community. Even without the author, we can appreciate and admire that.
Whether HBO can do the same is the question at hand.
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