AFTER news broke that HBO would be creating a television reboot of the beloved “Harry Potter” franchise, they shared that they’d started looking for children to play the roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
With this, they said that they would be committed to inclusive and diverse casting. In a casting notice, they asked applicants to read a poem or short story, and wrote: “For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to ethnicity, sex, disability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis protected by law unless otherwise specifically indicated.”
Following this, however, HBO then released a statement following people’s queries as to whether or not J.K. Rowling, the author of the books the franchise is based on, will have any involvement with the upcoming series.
This concern came after the numerous transphobic statements that Rowling has made in the past.
For example, just today, November 22nd, she posted to X (formerly Twitter): “If a man is a woman, there’s no such thing as a woman.”
This was in response to a state lawmaker stating that transgender women are “every bit as biologically female” as cisgendered women.
During a press event last November 12th, HBO chief Casey Boys said that Rowling was very involved in the process of selecting the writer and director, adding that her anti-transgender statements have not affected either the casting or hiring of writers or productions staff for the show.
“J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views,” HBO further said in their statement.
“We will remain focused on the development on the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
Netizens, disappointed
Since the release of this statement, many people – particularly those who are a part of or are in support of the transgender community – have spoken out against HBO’s decision.
People also found it off-putting that the news was released on November 21st, noted as the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
I'd pass on all things Harry Potter, respectfully.
— Eric Okafor (@KneWKeeD) November 20, 2024
And I have a right to never watch a single second of the new reboot.
— Dan Marcus (@Danimalish) November 20, 2024
Announcing you’re standing behind JK Rowling on Transgender Day of Remembrance is certainly a choice https://t.co/1TCjN3aozE
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) November 20, 2024
Not only fans, but also former cast and crew that were a part of the “Harry Potter” franchise have also spoken up against Rowling’s transphobic statements in the past.
For example, Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, said: “‘Harry Potter’ would not have happened without her, so nothing in my life would have probably happened the way it is without that person, but that doesn’t mean that you owe the things you truly believe to someone else for your entire life.”
In a blog post for the LGBTQ+ advocacy group named “The Trevor Project” he also wrote that “Transgender women are women.”
Both Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), have also posted on social media to say that they stand with the transgender community. Emma wrote that she respects and loves her transgender followers, stating that transgender people are who they say they are and deserve to live without being constantly questioned or told that they aren’t who they say they are.
Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood, has also openly shown support for the transgender community. In 2020, she wrote on X: “Feeling like you don’t fit in or aren’t accepted for who you are is the worst, most lonely feelings a human can experience, and I won’t be helping to marginalise trans women and men further. I applaud the immense bravery they show in embracing themselves and think we all should listen to their stories.”
Some other actors from the franchise who have shown support for the transgender community are Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley).
Eddie Redmayne, who played Newt Scamander in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”, another franchise based on Rowling’s novels, clearly stated that they view transgender men as men and transgender as women, while also noting that nonbinary identities are valid, as well.
