Minerva McGonagall (Janet McTeer)
Rubeus Hagrid (Nick Frost)
Draco Malfoy (Lox Pratt)
The Weasley Siblings: Ginny (Gracie Cochrane), Fred (Tristan Harland), George (Gabriel Harland) and Percy (Ruari Spooner)
Mykel Hilliard
Aug 20
6 mins read
However, several directors have admitted to turning down directing duties on HBO’s highly anticipated Harry Potter reboot due to its connection with J.K Rowling.
This week, two accomplished directors revealed that they had been approached about directing HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter adaptation, set to premiere this Christmas, but ultimately passed on the opportunity because of the project’s ties to author J.K. Rowling.
First, Canadian writer-director Ally Pankiw (Black Mirror, Ponies) admitted to declining interest in directing the reboot. Pankiw took to Instagram to post a screenshot of a text-message exchange with her agent where she was asked if she would be interested in taking on directing duties for the upcoming series. “I have an instinct on the answer but I feel compelled to ask,” the agent wrote. “Harry Potter? Hard no?”
Pankiw responded “Absolutely fucking not! lol… (But thank you for asking).” To which the agent responded “Of course 🙂 … I assumed as much… (And agree).” Pankiw doubled down in the comments, writing: “It simply is this easy to say ‘no’ to funding transphobia.”
She wasn’t the only director ready to spill on the possibility of picking up directing duties. Kate Herron (Loki, Doctor Who) popped in Pankiw’s comment section writing “They’ve asked me twice and I’ve had to explain my answer is never going to change from a ‘no.’”
The gag is, we’d be here all day if I listed every instance of Rowling making transphobic remarks; her long-standing history of controversial comments about the transgender community has made her one of the most prominent figures associated with anti-trans rhetoric.
It began in 2018, when Rowling faced backlash for “liking” a tweet that referred to trans women as “men in dresses.” Her spokesperson at the time called it an accident, describing it as a “clumsy and middle-aged moment.” Rowling later explained that she had “absent-mindedly” liked the tweet while intending to screenshot it, saying she had taken “an interest in gender identity and transgender matters.”
Rowling has made conflicting statements about the lives and well-being of transgender people. In an 2020 essay posted on her website, she wrote that trans people “need and deserve protection” from violence, while her FAQ states that she wants them to be safe and free from discrimination.
However, since then, many of her actions and comments have drawn criticism from prominent LGBTQ+ organizations, including GLAAD, whose website features an accountability section tracking her public comments and actions.
Some of her more outwardly transphobic actions include a X post where she insists that transgender youth do not exist. “There are no trans kids. No child is ‘born in the wrong body’. There are only adults like you, prepared to sacrifice the health of minors to bolster your belief in an ideology that will end up wreaking more harm than lobotomies and false memory syndrome combined.” she wrote.
She also misgendered U.K. transgender journalist India Willoughby and accused her of “cosplaying a misogynistic male fantasy of what a woman is” in a social media thread that also implied transgender people using bathrooms that aligns with their gender identity was similar to being permissive about educators who sexually abuse minors.
At one point, she also took to X to write, “Merry Terfmas 😘,” in response to a now-deleted post. Given Rowling’s repeated history of transphobia, it is hard to reconcile this with her earlier claim that trans people “need and deserve protection” from violence. Her words and actions literally perpetuate and promote the same false narratives that have harmed transgender people.
Pankiw and Herron are not the first entertainment industry figures to push back against Rowling’s anti-trans views. In 2020, the original Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint spoke out against comments made by J.K. Rowling following the publication of an essay in which she defended tax specialist Maya Forstater, who had lost her job after being accused of making “transphobic” tweets, and outlined her views on sex and gender.
Daniel Radcliffe, who originally portrayed the titular character, publicly spoke out against Rowling’s comments in an essay published by The Trevor Project. In the essay, Radcliffe affirmed his support for the transgender community, writing, “Transgender women are women.” He argued that statements denying this reality undermine the identity and dignity of transgender people and contradicts the guidance of leading professional healthcare organizations.
Watson who portrayed Hermoine Granger responded with a series of tweets addressing the public and the transgender community Watson said: “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.” She continued saying “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”
Lastly Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, also spoke out in support of the transgender community. In a statement to The Sunday Times, he said: “I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.”
While the new Harry Potter adaptation is still months away from its official premiere, that hasn’t stopped some members of the new cast from weighing in on Rowling’s views.
Given the notoriety of Rowling’s comments, many members of the new cast have faced questions about their views on gender and the transgender community.
Nick Frost, who is set to play Hagrid in the series, addressed Rowling’s views last year, saying, “She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape or form.”
Paapa Essiedu, who is set to portray Severus Snape in the series, signed an open letter supporting trans rights in the U.K. last year. After an article speculated that Rowling would have him fired from the show due his pro-transgender views, Rowling responded, “I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did. I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”
Even one of the big wigs at HBO was questioned about working with Rowling following the announcement that the network would be rebooting the series. Network CEO Casey Bloys told The Town podcast, “The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us. “We’ve been in business for 25 years,” referring to Warner Bros. Pictures’ longstanding relationship with Rowling through the franchise.
“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.”
Bloys has one thing right: several of Rowling’s outbursts aimed at transgender people have come from the platform, which boasts 13.8 million followers. Rowling could be using her platform to spread more love and light; instead, she’s casting a dark shadow over the world she created, while also exposing former and potential collaborators to the backlash surrounding her beliefs.
View the New Cast Below:
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