Despite HBO executives playing down J.K. Rowling’s involvement in the Harry Potter TV series in the past, the controversial author has been checking out how things are going during filming for the upcoming reboot of the magical franchise. According to Deadline, Rowling dropped by filming, which has been split across Warner Bros. Studios Leavesdon and various U.K. locations, something that one person said was “like receiving a royal visit.”
While HBO declined to comment on Rowling’s visit, the source said that “senior members of the production team cleared space in their diaries to welcome Rowling.” Rowling obviously has a lot of involvement in the series. She acts as executive producer on the series, and has also been involved in some casting choices and writing advice. Rowling confirmed in June that she had “worked closely with the extremely talented writers” that have been scripting the series.
When the series was announced, many of those opposed to Rowling’s controversial opinion-sharing on social media about transgender rights immediately threatened to boycott HBO’s new series, which immediately put them on the backfoot. In November last year, HBO CEO Casey Bloys finally gave a direct response to questions about how the show has been impacted by the controversy constantly swirling around Rowling. Bloys said:
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“The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us. We’ve been in business for 25 years. We already have a show on HBO from her called ‘C.B. Strike’ that we do with the BBC. It’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She’s entitled to them. ‘Harry Potter’ is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.”
The ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise is Still Massively Popular
Regardless of Rowling’s online arguments, threats of boycotts, and constant noise online, it cannot be denied that the Harry Potter franchise has not really suffered as a result. As well as dozens of different versions of the novels continuing to sell in huge volumes, the movies are constantly on streaming platforms, and a new full cast audio book series has just been released.
The new version of the audiobook, which now sits alongside the Stephen Fry-narrated original, features an incredible array of stars, from Hugh Laurie to Keira Knightly, and brings the novels to life in a way never heard before. This means that even more people can discover a new way to enjoy the Harry Potter saga, provided they can manage to separate the creator from the creation. While this is clearly not something a select portion of fans can do, there are many others who are still more than happy to devour anything linked to the franchise that comes along.
In 2027, HBO’s Harry Potter TV series will finally debut on HBO Max, restarting the franchise in what looks likely to be a decade-long journey. The new series will feature another whole new cast – except for Warwick Davis and Bill Nighy, who both reprise their movie roles in the show – featuring John Lithgow, Nick Frost, Paapa Essiedu, Janet McTeer, and Paul Whitehouse, along with three new young leads in Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), Alastair Stout (Ron), and Arabella Stanton (Hermione). The show will premiere sometime in early 2027, but an exact release date has yet to be announced.
- Showrunner
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Francisca Gardiner
- Directors
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Mark Mylod
- Writers
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Francesca Gardiner
