Daniel Radcliffe Leaves ‘Harry Potter’ Behind as J.K. Rowling Prepares To Lose Ownership

On Sunday, June 16, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe won his first Tony Award for Featured Actor in a Musical. Upon accepting the award, Radcliffe revealed that starring in “Merrily We Roll Along” alongside Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez was the first time he felt like more than “Harry Potter.”

Radcliffe left Harry Potter behind years ago, making his final appearance as the boy wizard in attractions in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Japan. Further Wizarding World expansions won’t include Radcliffe or his castmates, Emma Watson (Hermoine Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley).

Harry Potter actors haven’t just aged out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Radcliffe, Watson, Grint, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), and more stars have openly disavowed J.K. Rowling for her rampant anti-transgender activism. Many have worked with LGBTQIA+ charities like The Trevor Project to reverse some of the harm done by the billionaire author.

“While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken…I feel compelled to say something at this moment,” Radcliffe wrote in a 2020 essay. “Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”

Amid backlash from former friends and coworkers, Rowling also faces internal pressure to let go of Harry Potter. The series is a massive moneymaker despite the failure of the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Video games like “Hogwarts Legacy,” Universal theme park expansions, and an upcoming HBO series practically print cash for Warner Brothers.

However, Rowling’s outspoken bigotry presents a problem as more former fans refuse to put money in her pockets. Earlier this year, industry insider Jeffrey Sneider claimed that Warner Bros. Discovery wants to buy Rowling out of Harry Potter:

“Reading between the lines of this announcement, this feels like Rowling squeezing as much juice as she can from the Harry Potter orange before WBD inevitably buys her out to get rid of her, as the original stars won’t return while she’s still around.”

The author reportedly demanded an “impossible amount” when Warner Bros. approached her before greenlighting the Harry Potter TV series. She maintains some of the strictest creative control over any Harry Potter project in the industry.

During Sunday night’s 77th Annual Tony Awards, Radcliffe indirectly confirmed his distance from Rowling and Harry Potter. As he approached the mic to accept his Tony Award, the announcer said, “Daniel Radcliffe cited Broadway as the first place he could truly be an actor and not just ‘Harry Potter.’”

Radcliffe didn’t mention the Wizarding World in his speech but thanked his team members for being with him since childhood. He acknowledged friends, parents, wife Erin Darke, son, and the cast and crew of “Merrily We Roll Along.”

“I will never have it this good again,” Radcliffe said, adding that the show was “one of the best experiences of my life.”

Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez star in Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along” at the Hudson Theatre in New York City until July 7, 2024. The musical took home four Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Orchestrations, and Leading Actor in a Musical (Jonathan Groff). Watch the cast perform at the 77th Annual Tony Awards here:

Should J.K. Rowling lose control of the Harry Potter franchise? In the comments, share your thoughts on the Wizarding World with Inside the Magic.