A new generation of wizards! HBO announced that a new Harry Potter series was officially in the works.
During the Warner Bros. Discovery presentation in April 2023, the network revealed they were moving forward with a TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s iconic novels for their streaming service Max. (Max is the new service that combines HBO Max and Discovery+ into one platform.)
“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way,” Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content said in the presentation. “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. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”
The series will follow the author’s books in a “decade-long series” that will feature a whole new cast. Rowling, for her part, will serve as an executive producer.
“Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series,” the British writer said in a statement alongside the announcement of the new series.
Despite her success with the franchise, Rowling has found herself in hot water over the years. The U.K. native, who penned the seven young adult fantasy novels from 1997 to 2007, has often made headlines due to her seemingly transphobic comments. In June 2020, the philanthropist shared multiple posts on Twitter that appeared to slam the trans community, for which she received backlash.
Stars from the original Harry Potter film franchise began to speak out against the creator for her controversial remarks, including stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who portrayed Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively.
“I firmly stand with the trans community,” Grint said in a statement to Us Weekly at the time. “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.”
In 2021, Rowling posted another series of anti-trans comments around the same time the trailer for the new Fantastic Beasts film — which is based off another one of Rowling’s novels that take place in the Harry Potter universe — dropped.
Amid the controversy, Rowling did not participate with the cast in the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary reunion special — which premiered on HBO Max in 2022. However, she was featured in archival footage from 2019.
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