A new Harry Potter TV series is set to hit our screens but among the excitement are fans who are threatening to boycott the show following JK Rowling's previous online comments.
HBO and Discovery+ have teamed up to offer a service called Max, and they've just announced that our favorite wizards and witches will be coming back to our screens as we are set to return to Hogwarts.
In a press release, the company said that they will be remaining faithful to the source material - Rowling's books - and it will be produced in a way that is recognizable to Potter fans across the globe.
CEO of HBO and Max content, Casey Bloys said: "We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way. Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros."
Watch the announcement below:The series is set to span across the course of a decade with an entirely new cast - but as exciting as this sounds to some, others have threatened not to watch the show due to the involvement of Rowling.
The author of the world-famous Harry Potter series has come under fire in recent years for a number of comments she has made that have resulted in people branding her transphobic, which she denies.
The British author angered people in 2020 when she mocked the trans-inclusive term "people who menstruate" on her Twitter account.
People have taken to social media to express their distaste at the new series, which Rowling is set to executive produce.
"Once again i’m begging you all: don’t stream this. don’t give any more time, attention, or money to anything harry potter related. [Rowling] has been reported to be profiting off of this. it’s all a money grab for fear of losing relevance. she’s a s*** human being. don’t support s***," one person tweeted.
A second said: "Really hope people boycott [HBO] for deciding to fund JK Rowling’s bigotry. And for those who believe she’s done nothing wrong, I suggest you check out @HPANA who have ALL the receipts!"
HBO CEO Bloys was questioned on the author's views by Variety, but he dodged the questions that were presented to him.
"I don’t think this is the forum," he said to the outlet. That’s a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated, and not something we’re going to get into.
"Obviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our priority - what’s on screen."
With the series spanning over a decade, we might get to see aspects from the book that the movies didn't include - the Hogwarts kitchen springs to mind. However, fans will not get to see Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson reprise their roles as they did not sign up for the project.
Will you be watching the new series? Let us know in the comments!
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