Yesterday, Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced that a Harry Potter TV series is officially in the works at Max (the new name of HBO Max). It will adapt all seven books across multiple seasons and the project is expected to run for around a decade.
J.K. Rowling, the author behind the book series, will serve as one of the executive producers of the project. However, she has also been a subject of controversy for the past couple of years due to her stance on the trans community which is viewed as transphobic.
As reported by Variety, during a Q&A session with the press after the presentation, HBO and Max chairman Casey Bloys was asked about how Rowling's controversy will affect their ability to find talent for the series. However, he declined to address the elephant in the room.
"No, I don’t think this is the forum. That’s a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated, and not something we’re going to get into," he said.
"Our priority is what’s on the screen. Obviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our priority — what’s on screen."
When asked about how Rowling is going to be involved in the series, Bloys simply said, "[Rowling] will be involved. She’s an executive producer on the show. Her insights are going to be helpful on that."
"The TV show is new and we’re excited about that, but, remember, we’ve been in the Potter business for 20 years," he continued. "This is not a new decision for us, we’re very comfortable being in the Potter business."
This is an interesting response from Bloys as it looks like they have no intention to address Rowling's controversy at all. However, framing it as simply just an "online conversation" might not be a good choice of words since the controversy was beyond the web and it has affected a lot of individuals worldwide, particularly in the trans community.
It is hard to tell right now whether Rowling's controversy will affect the hiring process for the Harry Potter series and the audience's response once it's out. While the films were a huge success, it is a different scenario now and, as we've seen by the online responses to the news, not a lot of people are thrilled about this project coming into existence.
Also Read: Harry Potter Reboot Fuels War Against Percy Jackson Fans
Max has not set a release window yet for the Harry Potter series.
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