HBO, Max Bosses Dodge J.K. Rowling Anti-Trans Controversy After ‘Harry Potter’ Series Announcement: Not “Something We’re Going to Get Into”

Warner Bros. Discovery’s press event announcing the new streaming service Max, which will combine content from HBO Max and Discovery+, concluded with the confirmation of a new Harry Potter television series. 

Earlier this month, it was rumored that Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav and CEO of HBO and Max Casey Bloys have been trying to convince author J.K. Rowling to be involved with the series. Now, the series has been confirmed and Rowling has been named an executive producer.

According to a press release from the media company, the new series will be a “faithful adaptation” of Rowling’s book series and will premiere on Max.

The show will be a “decade-long” project that’s “produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.” It has been speculated that each season will focus on one of the seven books in the series. Warner Bros. confirmed that the series will feature a new cast. 

During a press Q&A after the media event, Bloys declined to comment on Rowling’s anti-transgender views in regards to the series, per Variety.

The Max CEO said, “No, I don’t think this is the forum. That’s a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into.”

Bloys continued, “Our priority is what’s on the screen. Obviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our priority — what’s on screen.”

The CEO continued to state that Rowling will be involved with the series and said her insight will be “helpful.” He explained that Warner Bros. has “been in the Potter business for 20 years” and they’re “very comfortable being in the Potter business.”

Zaslav added the series will not affect other projects within the fantasy franchise. “We’re free to do anything we want. In some areas, we’d need to do it with J.K., in other areas we have full ability to move forward,” he said. 

Later, Bloys compared the scale of the show to Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon – both of which came at high price tags – and said that the budget will be “whatever it takes to make a quality show.”

Perhaps, now, Rowling and her vocal supporters will stop insisting that she’s been subjected to a witch hunt because, given Warner Bros.’s recent move, the controversial author is doing fine.

Following the announcement of the series, Rowling praised Max in a statement. “Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series,” she said.

Rowling has a deep history of transphobia and has repeatedly denied that transgender women are “real women,” going as far to insist that cis women are under attack by their transgender counterparts. In a recent podcast, she compared trans activists to the murderous Harry Potter antagonists, Death Eaters.