In a signal indication of how insufferably arrogant and nasty Hollywood is, a Harry Potter retrospective to be released on the 20th anniversary celebration of the first film, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” has invited much of the cast from all eight Harry Potter films, but will not feature any new interviews from Harry Potter’s creator, J.K. Rowling.
On Tuesday, HBO Max, which will stream the special on January 1, announced the retrospective, titled “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts.” The press release stated that the special will, “tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.”
“The release made no mention of Rowling when listing those participating in the retrospective. While Harry Potter remains a beloved franchise, Rowling sparked backlash from the trans community after saying that transgender individuals should be defined by their biological sex. Sources close to the project note that the retrospective will focus on the creation of the film and the central cast/team. Rowling will, however, be featured in archival footage. She will not make a new appearance in the special,” The Hollywood Reporter noted.
Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, Emma Watson, who played Hermione, and Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, will be featured in the special.
The Daily Mail recalled of Rowling’s comments:
In June 2020, she took to Twitter to criticize an opinion piece that used the term “people who menstruate” instead of women. “I’m sure there used to be a word for these people,” she tweeted at the time. “Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
She added, “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased…. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.”
She also stated, “My life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”
CNN reported, “Last year, star Radcliffe responded to Rowling’s controversial tweets about gender identity, which some labeled as transphobic, in an essay for the Trevor Project. ‘Transgender women are women,’ he wrote. ‘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 (Rowling) or I.’”
Grint told Esquire, “I am hugely grateful [for] everything that she’s done. I think that she’s extremely talented, and I mean, clearly, her works are genius. … But yeah, I think also you can have huge respect for someone and still disagree with things like that. … Sometimes silence is even louder. I felt like I had to because I think it was important to. I mean, I don’t want to talk about all that. … Generally, I’m not an authority on the subject. … Just out of kindness, and just respecting people. I think it’s a valuable group that I think needs standing up for.”