“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling visited the set of a new TV series that HBO is currently filming based on her book.
The series will go into production in July, filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and other locations in the UK, and is expected to be released on HBO and HBO Max in 2027.
Rowling became a controversial figure in the years following the blockbuster success of the Harry Potter books and movies, as she regularly shared anti-trans views. She first expressed her feelings in June 2020, at which point Warner Bros. released a statement without directly condemning Rowling’s words or mentioning transgender people, saying that “a culture of diversity and inclusion is more important than ever.” Since then, Rowling has always doubled down. In 2024, Variety reported that she had “posted or reposted (not including replies) more than 200 times about trans-related issues” in just two months.
Other actors, including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Eddie Redmayne, who starred in Harry Potter and the spin-off film series Fantastic Beasts, have expressed support for transgender and non-binary people in response to Rowling’s jab. Perhaps most notably, Rowling had a public rift with Emma Watson, who responded to Rowling’s own post by saying she would “never forgive” her for posting online about transgender rights. Earlier this year, Ms Watson said she was open to discussing the issue with Ms Rowling but was “most upset” that “the conversation never happened”. The next day, Rowling eagerly shared a video making fun of Watson’s comments, and also accused Watson of writing her a note expressing sympathy for the hate Rowling was receiving online, writing to X that Watson “has too little real life experience to realize how ignorant she is.”
As HBO continues to produce new “Harry Potter” shows, the HBO network has stood by Rowling. “JK Rowling is entitled to express her personal opinions. We remain focused on developing new series, which will only benefit from her involvement,” a spokesperson told Variety last year, while network head Casey Bloys said at a press event that Rowling was “very involved in the process of selecting writers and directors” and that her anti-trans comments “have no influence on the casting or hiring of writers or production staff” for the show.
Deadline first reported the news of Rowling’s set visit.
