Warner Bros. Discovery is betting big on its streaming future, and few properties offer the kind of global recognition—or built-in subscriber appeal—as Harry Potter. In 2023, HBO Max officially greenlit a decade-long reboot of the series, promising a more faithful, book-by-book adaptation. With a new cast, fresh production design, and streaming flexibility, it should have been an easy win.
But one name still looms over the castle gates: J.K. Rowling.
JK Rowling’s Views Still Fuel Backlash
Since 2019, Rowling has drawn fierce criticism for her views on gender identity, publishing tweets and essays that assert biological sex is immutable and denounce aspects of the trans rights movement. “Transgender women are women,” Daniel Radcliffe said in a statement via The Trevor Project—an early and public break from the author. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint followed suit.
All three thanked Rowling for launching their careers, but made clear they did not share her views. Rowling, for her part, has continued to defend her position in interviews and blog posts. She’s characterized the backlash as a form of silencing, positioning herself as a target of cancel culture.
More recently, she stoked fresh controversy by posting a photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, following a U.K. Supreme Court ruling that defined gender by biological sex. In the image, Rowling lounges with a cigar and drink, captioned, “I love it when a plan comes together.”
I love it when a plan comes together.
#SupremeCourt #WomensRights
I love it when a plan comes together.#SupremeCourt #WomensRights pic.twitter.com/agOkWmhPgb
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2025
HBO Stands by ‘Harry Potter,’ Not the Politics
That image didn’t go unnoticed. It reignited questions about whether Warner Bros. and HBO were quietly endorsing Rowling’s politics by re-platforming her work. In response, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max, stepped in with a public clarification.
“The decision to be in business with JK Rowling is not new for us,” Bloys said on The Town with Matt Belloni podcast. “We’ve been in business for 25 years.” He emphasized that Rowling’s politics “do not, and will not, impact the creative scope of Harry Potter.”
“I think it’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views,” Bloys continued. “She’s entitled to them. Harry Potter is not being secretly infused with anything.”
He also invited critics to take their concerns elsewhere. “If you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.”
Actor John Lithgow, who will step into the role of Albus Dumbledore, echoed that sentiment, calling the ongoing discourse “odd” and saying he didn’t believe Rowling’s personal views should be “a factor at all.”
Despite the pushback, Bloys reaffirmed that Rowling’s views haven’t influenced the show’s hiring decisions. “They haven’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff,” he said at a press event last year.
Still, the association may prove hard to separate in the eyes of fans. For some, Harry Potter remains a cherished part of childhood. For others, it’s become inseparable from the controversies surrounding its creator.
HBO’s Harry Potter reboot is slated to debut in 2026. Each season will adapt one book, beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Warner Bros. has promised a longer-form, more nuanced take than the films—but whether the magic returns, or feels irreparably tarnished, remains to be seen.
I don’t think they ought to do a reboot of the Harry Potter. I think they’re all just let the original stay like it is