HBO CEO says JK Rowling “entitled” to her views: “if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter”
Posted On
(Credits: HBO Max)
In a recent podcast interview, the HBO CEO made it clear that JK Rowling is entitled to her political views, and fans are entitled to debate her. However, the studio behind the upcoming Harry Potter series wishes to stay squarely out of the debate.
When asked during a recent episode of The Town with Matt Belloni about the Harry Potter author, HBO boss Casey Bloys said her politics do not impact their creative work. “The decision to be in business with JK Rowling is not new for us. We’ve been in business for 25 years,” Bloys said, referencing the C. B. Strike series that includes Rowling as a collaborator.
He continued: “I think it’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She’s entitled to them. Harry Potter is not being secretly infused with anything.”
It is no secret that the Scottish author exercises a trans-exclusionary feminist politics often on her social media channels. However, backlash against her anti-trans views has recently intensified in light of the recent UK Supreme Court ruling, which equates gender with biological sex, making no room for the trans experience.
Bloys told fans, “‘Harry Potter’ is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.”
The comment was pertinent, given that she recently tweeted a picture that looked joyful and smug in reaction to the news of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling. She is seen holding a beverage and smoking a cigar in front of a peaceful ocean setting. “I love it when a plan comes together,” she captioned the picture on X.
Bloys has previously stressed that Rowling’s personal views are kept explicitly separate from the show. At a press event last year, Bloys told reporters that Rowling’s anti-trans statements “haven’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff” for the show.
Not everyone involved in the upcoming series is as calm and collected as Bloys seems. After being cast as Severus Snape in the remake, actor Paapa Essiedu has signed an open letter calling for industry action on trans rights. Eddie Redmayne, who starred in Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is also among hundreds of film and TV professionals who signed the letter.
Nick Frost, who will play Rubeus Hagrid, took to Instagram to share his joy at his being cast. He quickly had to disable comments on the post, as it garnered over 1,400 adverse reactions. On the other hand, John Lithgow, who is set to play headmaster Albus Dumbledore, called the discourse “odd”. He believed Rowling’s views on trans issues shouldn’t be a “factor at all”.
The first series of the new Harry Potter series is expected to be broadcast in 2026 on HBO.
[embedded content]
Related Topics
