This week, Warner Bros. introduced it’s returning to the place the Harry Potter cinematic universe all began with a “trustworthy” HBO TV adaptation of J.Okay. Rowling’s books. The place the latest Hogwarts Legacy sport tried to remain utterly separate from the writer and her anti-trans historical past, the streaming platform rebranded as “Max” doesn’t appear to have the identical hangups as executives just lately dismissed issues concerning the controversy with bizarre non-answers.
Selection experiences that Casey Bloys, CEO of HBO and Max content material, tried to handwave away apparent questions on Rowling’s involvement throughout a Q&A with press on April 12 following the TV adaptation’s announcement. “No, I don’t suppose that is the discussion board,” mentioned Bloys. “That’s a really on-line dialog, very nuanced and sophisticated and never one thing we’re going to get into.”
“Clearly, the Harry Potter story is extremely affirmative and optimistic and about love and self-acceptance,” Bloys added, juxtaposing Rowling’s previous remarks with the supply materials and the way it is going to be portrayed within the present. “That’s our precedence—what’s on display screen.”
Instantly after, nonetheless, Bloys went on to substantiate that Rowling is the sequence’ government producer and mentioned, “Her insights are going to be useful.” In her personal assertion put out alongside the announcement, Rowling confused the shut working relationship, writing “I’m wanting ahead to being a part of this new adaptation which is able to permit for a level of depth and element solely afforded by an extended type tv sequence.”
Learn Extra: 15 Hours With Hogwarts Legacy: Magical Floor, Rotten Core
That’s in stark distinction to the tightrope Avalanche Software program walked with Hogwarts Legacy, a prequel set many years earlier than the books. The sport’s builders went to nice lengths to distance the mission from Rowling, stating repeatedly that she had no involvement. That didn’t cease some gamers from boycotting the sport amid a debate about supporting a mission that places royalty funds within the writer’s pocket as reactionary political forces within the U.S. and United Kingdom lay siege to transgender rights.
However it did counsel gamers and builders alike had been grappling with the best way to attempt to re-imagine the Harry Potter franchise and fandom exterior the shadow solid by its creator. In the newest excessive profile instance, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe participated in a roundtable discussion with transgender youngsters about trusting them to make choices about their our bodies and identities. The occasion adopted up on an open letter printed final yr wherein he declared “Transgender girls are girls” in stark distinction with Rowling who has repeatedly referred to as for trans girls to be handled otherwise than cisgender girls and stoked paranoia around youth hormone treatment.
“The rationale I felt very, very a lot as if I wanted to say one thing after I did was as a result of, significantly since ending ‘Potter,’ I’ve met so many queer and trans youngsters and younger individuals who had an enormous quantity of identification with Potter on that,” Radcliffe advised Indiewire in an interview final yr. “And so seeing them harm on that day I used to be like, I wished them to know that not all people within the franchise felt that means. And that was actually vital.”
HBO apparently didn’t really feel the identical means. “The TV present is new and we’re enthusiastic about that, however, keep in mind, we’ve been within the Potter enterprise for 20 years,” Bloys mentioned throughout the Q&A. “This isn’t a brand new resolution for us, we’re very comfy being within the Potter enterprise.” Fairly than let that “enterprise” evolve, Warner Bros. Discovery appears content material to try to revenue off its painful previous.
