Fans Call For Harry Potter TV Series Boycott Over JK Rowling’s Involvement 

Harry Potter fans have threatened to boycott HBO Max’s latest television adaptation of the popular fantasy film franchise, following news that JK Rowling will be one of the executive producers on the show. 

The announcement of the show was made at Warner Bros. Discovery’s presentation to the press on Wednesday.  

Warner Bros Discovery released a public statement, stating that the series “will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years.”

“Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally,” the company said. 

A Faithful Adaptation

Your Hogwarts letter is here.

Max has ordered the first ever #HarryPotter scripted television series, a faithful adaptation of the iconic books. #StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/3CgEHLYhch

— HBO Max (@hbomax) April 12, 2023

The live-action series, scheduled to be released in 2025/2026, is based on the seven books by JK Rowling and will become a “decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for”, according to Max.

The Harry Potter films have been nominated 12 times for an Oscar and have all been top-rank box office hits, with all eight releases on the list of highest-grossing films worldwide. 

Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content Casey Bloys assured fans it would be “a faithful adaptation.” Each season in the new show will be based on one of the seven books. Bloys declined to respond to questions from media persons about Rowling’s views and their impact on the series.

“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,”, Bloys said. 

Fans Call For Boycott

Harry Potter author JK Rowling retweeted an image on March 25, 2023 containing racist, transphobic rhetoric, desecrating the Progress Pride Flag (which added visible representation for trans people & people of color, among others), labeling those additions "shit." pic.twitter.com/QfLAgiPpsm

— [email protected] (@HPANA) March 26, 2023

Many fans have expressed their disappointment by Max’s decision to involve JK Rowling in the latest adaptation, with some threatening to boycott the series, and calling upon others to do the same. 

One Twitter user posted, “Really hope people boycott HBO Max for deciding to fund JK Rowling’s bigotry”. 

Harry Potter fan site HPANA self-described as an “award-winning news service established in 2002 to cover Harry Potter, now reporting on the demise of JK Rowling’s legacy”, said it has been following the “disturbing links between JKR’s anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry and far-right, conservative & religious groups and their rhetoric” since 2020 and advocated for a boycott of all of her work. 

HPANA took to Twitter Wednesday, calling for Warner Bros. Discovery to remove the author from their Harry Potter franchise: “Warner Bros. Discovery needs to excise JK Rowling from their Harry Potter franchise. No sane actor will want anything to do with JKR’s racist, transphobic, anti-LGBTQ+ bigoted rhetoric going forward. She makes any potential new HP project a total non-starter”.