HBO Completely Ignoring JK Rowling Controversy In New 'Harry Potter' Series - Makes Author Executive Producer

More Harry Potter is on the way, with more than a few surprises…

Fans of the Wizarding World were surprised when, just over ten years after the last Harry Potter film, Warner Bros Discovery, and HBO announced a Harry Potter series, faithful to the books and extremely detailed. While many have rejoiced at this news, others have been upset, and still others simply surprised. Though the simple fact that they’re rebooting a franchise just over 20 years old is surprising, the most surprising thing is how they’re choosing to handle it.

Related: ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot Will Be A “Decade-Long Faithful Adaptation”

It makes sense that those with the film rights to the franchise would want to capitalize on it as much as they could, and after the Fantastic Beasts franchise fell on its face,  it seems they’re turning back to the source material. To be fair, the source material is brilliant. A completely original story, using the Hero’s Journey as a blueprint, introducing a world of magic, mystery, friendship, and more than revolutionized fiction for children and adults alike.

The problem comes when considering the source of that material. People the world over know about author JK Rowling’s controversy surrounding the trans community. Though given many opportunities to recant, amend, or explain, Rowling has only doubled down on her views and further alienated herself and, subsequently, her material from the world of entertainment. Still, fans have been consistent in their support, not necessarily of Rowling, but of Harry Potter.

The illustrated editions of her books have been extremely popular since their initial release, and more recently, the Harry Potter-inspired game, Hogwarts Legacy, has been breaking records and flying off both literal and virtual shelves since its release earlier this year. Perhaps bolstered by the success of this latest endeavor, Warner Bros. and HBO pressed forward with their new project of a streaming series based on the books.

Of course, when this series was announced, there were questions about how the controversy surrounding JK Rowling would be handled. Deadline reported on statements made by HBO CEO Casey Bloys, in which he declined outright to comment:

“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…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.”

What was very interesting, beyond Bloys refusal to address the situation, was that he confirmed that the author would be serving as an executive producer on the show and that “Her insights are going to be helpful” with the series moving forward. In a difficult situation to navigate, it seems that HBO has opted to ignore the situation completely instead of addressing it head-on. Of course, they may well address it in the series itself, but that remains to be seen.

Related: ‘Harry Potter’ Stars Returning to Franchise For Mega Film

The new series has been described as a “decade-long” faithful adaptation of the successful book series and will be streaming exclusively on Max (formerly HBO Max). With a longer format, it’s expected that the series will include many of the omissions made in the film series and smaller details, though going over the same content.

What do you think of this strategy? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!