JK Rowling's outspoken views have landed her at odds with Harry Potter movie stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. Photo: Gareth Davis/Getty Images Europe Rowling was the undisputed literary icon a few years ago. Her books have sold over 500 million copies worldwide, and film adaptations and spin-offs such as Fantastic Beasts have collectively generated tens of billions of dollars in box office receipts.
A West End musical, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, has been running since 2016, and a number of video games have proven popular as well.
But more recently, it has been criticized by transgender activists and parts of the media for her comments on gender and women's rights, including her calls for women-only seats to be reserved for biological women only.
Her outspoken views put her at odds with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe. and Emma Watson, who claim that «trans women are women» and provoked a strong reaction from people who used to adore fans.
In her own words, Rowling faced a flurry of insults while critics gleefully boasted of burning her books and threatened the author with violence.
In a 2020 essay, Rowling said she was driven by concerns about a new wave of misogyny fueled by a «porn-rich» culture and backlash against feminism. She warned that arguments in favor of a faster legal process for gender reassignment downplay the importance of women's «biological realities» and are «deeply misogynistic and regressive.»
She also expressed concern that young people, that gays can change gender because of homophobia.
In recent years, even mentioning J.K. Rowling's name next to her work has been taboo. Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
In response, two Harry Potter fan sites announced that they were boycotting the author for causing «harm» to transgender people with his comments. Others accused her of «dog whistling», expressing concern that transgender women are infiltrating women's space.
Mermaids, a controversial charity for transgender youth, even claims there have been «cases of self-mutilation and even suicide attempts.» Author's comments.
However, since then, Rowling has gained support in other circles.
Last summer, Warner Bros came out strongly in the author's defense when a journalist was banned from asking about her.
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«Warner Bros. has maintained a creative, productive and rewarding collaboration with JK Rowling over the past 20 years,» the post reads.
“She is one of the most accomplished storytellers in the world and we are proud to be the studio to bring her vision, characters and stories to life.”
Ralph Fiennes, who played the villain Lord Voldemort , also came to the aid of Rowling, telling The New York Times that the author faced «disgusting» insults. .
“This is not some obscene far-right fascist,” he told the New York Times. «It's just a woman who says, 'I'm a woman, and I feel like I'm a woman, and I want to be able to say that I'm a woman.'
Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the films, told The Telegraph in February: «Her [Rowling's] character has always been about protecting the most vulnerable members of society… I really wish people would just show her more grace and listen to her.»< /p >
During the pandemic, the enduring popularity of Rowling's work has returned to the fore as families have turned to the magical world to escape tedious isolation. This helped Bloomsbury achieve record sales and boss Nigel Newton shrugged off controversy.
«Harry Potter continues to make a huge difference in instilling a love of reading in children,» he said in October. .
Evanna Lynch (left) says that J.K. Rowling «always stood up for the most vulnerable members of society.» Photo: David M. Bennett/Getty Images Europe
Hogwarts Legacy, a video game that allows players to enroll in the legendary school of witchcraft and wizardry, has sold 12 million copies since its release in February despite a boycott campaign by trans activists.
In addition to these success, Warner Bros' decision to bring Rowling back may be motivated less by principles than by profit.
The company definitely needs a bit of magic. It is currently battling the likes of Netflix, Disney, Amazon and Apple for streaming dominance, with the companies collectively spending huge sums on movies and TV shows in search of subscribers.
The combined HBO «Max» service will wrap HBO Max and Discovery+ platform into a single, larger competitor,» says Tom Harrington, television analyst at Enders Analysis.
And David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, says major franchises like Harry Potter , The Lord of the Rings, and DC superheroes like Batman are at the heart of his strategy to attract audiences.
He reportedly met with Rowling at least twice in the months leading up to Wednesday's announcement, when he spoke of his excitement about the series' revival.
«My wife and I, we read [books] to each of our three children,” he said. «It's really touching.»
Although the main showrunner has not yet been found, the executives have promised that they will spare no expense on the latest adaptation of Rowling's work. That means the same or even bigger budget than Game of Thrones spin-off Dragon House, which cost $125m (£100m) in just 10 episodes.
The result could be a new Potter wave. mania — even if Rowling's firm views continue to cause controversy.
«She is clearly not going to change her position, because she feels very strongly about it,» admits a senior source in the film industry.
“But I would be very surprised if this stopped further releases of Harry Potter. It's a beloved franchise.»
Rowling, her literary agent and Warner Bros declined to comment.
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