Industry NewsOpinion

Entertainment Reporters Rage Against Max’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series

Platform craves dollar signs, ignores J.K. Rowling's howling media critics

Any project tied to British author J.K. Rowling inspires fury from a small but vocal minority.

We saw that anew with “Hogwarts Academy,” the video game sensation spawned from Rowling’s Harry Potter universe. Boycotts greeted the video game’s arrival, even though Rowling had no direct involvement with the title.

That fury is magnified by select press outlets, eager to weaponize Rowling critics at every turn.

Why? 

Rowling doesn’t adhere to the trans activists’ playbook. For that, she’s been canceled as much as any public figure in recent memory. 

Mainstream media reporters are almost uniformly progressive and use their pulpits to promote their pet causes.

Yet Rowling refuses to apologize for her views, holding her ground whereas other powerful figures bowed to the mob. More interesting? Major corporations remain eager to profit off her Potter franchise.

The latest example?

The newly christened Max platform, formerly HBO Max, made its upcoming “Harry Potter” series official. Rowling will serve as an executive producer on the show, expanding on her seven-book series with new actors inhabiting her fantasy realm.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s official statement on the matter, anticipating yet another wave of hatred aimed at Rowling, offers a muddled defense of its actions.

“J.K. is an executive producer, and her insights will be helpful,” explained Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content. “We are in the Harry Potter business. The TV show is new and exciting, but we’ve been in the Harry Potter business for 20 years; this isn’t a new decision. We’re comfortable being in the Potter business. J.K. is a very online conversation … It’s very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into. Our priority is what’s onscreen. The Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive about love and acceptance, and that’s our priority, what’s on the screen.”

The shorter version? We’re in an economic bind, and a “Harry Potter” series could make millions.

What’s fascinating about The Hollywood Reporter’s coverage of the news is the reaction from supposedly neutral journalists.

Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk wrote, “This faithful adaptation of harry potter, announced with absolutely bulls*** craven disdain for rowling’s political impact, is bad.”

Reporter Sean T. Collins wrote, “If you interview an actor or filmmaker or executive involved with the Harry Potter tv show and don’t lead with a question about JK Rowling leading a hate group you’re done, over, out of the art club.”

Out magazine tweeted: “We don’t want any new Harry Potter content if noted transphobe J.K. Rowling is involved.”

Plus…

Other entertainment sites hammered the move. Here’s MovieWeb.com.

Following the box office disappointment of the Fantastic Beasts films, controversial comments from author J.K. Rowling, and a cultural re-evaluation, the news of a Harry Potter series that recreates the books sounds unnecessary at best and terrible at worst.

The site’s funniest critique?

J.K. Rowling’s Involvement Dashes Any Chance of Creativity

Rowling created the sprawling, fantastical realm that inspired countless children to become avid readers. Yes, she’s a real anchor on storytelling.

The extreme-Left Daily Beast describes the backlash as “huge” based on … we’re not sure what, exactly.

No One Wants Max’s Harry Potter TV Series From J.K. Rowling

Yes, Warner Bros. Discovery agreed to a massive, 10-year commitment because no one wants to see anything Potter-related.

THR laments that the micro-minority of outraged souls won’t hurt the show’s reception. The far-Left site notes how “Hogwarts Legacy” endured boycott threats but sold a whopping 12 million units in just two weeks.

Yes, the “Potter” cinematic extension “Fantastic Beasts” collapsed under its own weight, but THR acknowledges that had more to do with the lousy product than any Rowling backlash.

The Max series marks a significant win for free expression in the culture wars, no matter what the entertainment press says.

10 Comments

  1. Obviously just a desperate money grab. The original movies are fine, why remake them again after such a short time? But, remember, Rowling is still a leftist. Though her brand of leftist isn’t as toxic as your typical trans nut that would be fine hurting you. So, a lesser of two evils I guess.

    The big question is how much race/gender swapping will there be? This is a British school so it makes sense most of the students would be British. There are other schools in other parts of the world. They need to remember that (but probably won’t). Also, how heavy will they sprinkle alphabets throughout the school? Is sexuality going to be a big part of the series? It’s sad we have to ask these questions, but Hollywood can’t focus on anything else these days.

  2. @Reb

    Like America, not everyone in Great Britain is White. So, the Harry Potter show will be racially diverse just as the films were.

  3. you might want to put “reporters” in quotes as they really are not reporters…they only promote their own agenda.

  4. Reminds me of what Churchill said about appeasement and a crocodile. Appeasement is feeding all else to the crocodile in hopes he’ll eat you last. These people who made their careers off of this lady are the ones feeding her now to the crocodile !

  5. If the Max series is well produced, AND true to the books (I own them), I will become a new Max subscriber. Although I enjoyed (and own) the Harry Potter series of movies, they were forced to leave most of the book content out. I am looking forward to seeing that content coming to life. I sincerely hope they don’t repeat the mistakes that caused Fantastic Beasts to fail (I still wish for a FB4). As to the Hogwarts Legacy game, the Steam gaming platform says I have played the game a little over 350 hours.

  6. Your critiques are exactly AS BIASED as theirs just from a right wing slant. You are as ideologically and racially blind as they are hence your use of the term “race swaps” to describe new fictional characters being of different races than older versions of the same fictional characters.

    If you can’t understand how stupid and racist that in and of itself is, there’s probably no hope for you as well as them. With such a
    “wretched hive of villainy” on both sides the U.S is F*CKED. The funniest thing will be when you racists die. That’s going to be hysterical to see the look on your faces when Jesus Christ throws your worthless racist butts in the LAKE OF FIRE. “But but but I’m a Christian!”.

    Which of course is the one thing you never at anytime were. At that time you’ll find out who your REAL “Father” was!
    Here’s a hint.
    1 John 3:10
    New International Version
    10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

  7. “Transphobe” – a contrived term of art designed to help normalize the abnormal/dysfunctional mentally ill and allow them and their allies to think of themselves as victims rather than perpetrators.

    Cancel culture sure has come a long way since the “live and let live” philosophy that legalized homosexual “marriage” just a few short decades ago.

    Who ever would have thought this simple statement of fact Rowling is being held guilty of in her trial by public mob excoriation would have been so contentious:

    There are two genders.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button