It’s official: A reboot of “Harry Potter” in the form of a TV series is coming to the new Max streaming service, and J.K. Rowling is onboard to executive produce. And, given how vocal she’s become against transgender people, many fans are cursing her involvement, and this series.
The announcement came during the unveiling of the renamed streaming service on Wednesday, as the series was revealed to be at least a decade-long commitment. Following the presentation, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content Casey Bloys told press that Rowling’s presence and input will indeed be significant.
“She will be involved. She’s an executive producer on the show,” he said. “And I think her insights are going to be incredibly helpful on that. And remember, we’re in the Potter business. You know, the TV show is new, and we’re excited about it. But we’ve been in the Potter business for 20 years. So this is not, you know, a new decision. So we’re very comfortable.”
But, the same cannot be said of many fans’ comfort.
“JK Rowling should make an interesting Exec Producer of the new Harry Potter series given that she doesn’t seem to understand any of the themes of her work,” one person tweeted.
“The way JK Rowling, a raging fascist and transphobic bigot, is on @hbomax’s payroll, yet they only perceive ‘Our Flag Means Death’ during Pride month, makes my blood broil,” another wrote. “We deserve so much better. Queer people deserve so much better.”
Others suggested the move was made to reboot the series entirely because much of the original cast — including both Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, who played Hermione and Harry, respectively — has spoken out against her views on trans people.
“This is a f–king insult to the original harry potter franchise,” one person tweeted. “To me feels like a rebound from jk rowling because the cast didn’t get along with her being transphobic idk.”
You can read more reactions to the news below.
