J.K. Rowling Addresses Harry Potter Reunion Special Absence 203y48 “I Didn’t Want to Do It”

The controversial British author was asked to be part of HBO Max’s Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, but turned it down. 5j3945

By Rahul Chettiyar | Updated: 29 August 2022 12:48 IST

J.K. Rowling Addresses Harry Potter Reunion Special Absence: “I Didn’t Want to Do It”

Photo Credit: Debra Hurford Brown/ J.K. Rowling 566t46

The Harry Potter reunion special only featured J.K. Rowling in a 30-second archived clip

Highlights

J.K. Rowling repeatedly criticised for her transphobic comments
Warner Bros. still maintains a professional relationship with Rowling
Rowling is a producer and screenwriter on the Fantastic Beasts films

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J.K. Rowling has finally opened up about her absence from the Harry Potter reunion special. In an interview on Graham Norton's Virgin Radio UK show, the controversial author revealed that it was her choice not to appear on the special. “I was asked to be on that and I decided I didn't want to do it,” said Rowling, shutting down claims that she was excluded from the reunion. Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts premiered on HBO Max (in the US) and Amazon Prime Video (in India), on New Year's Day, and featured Rowling in a 30-second archived clip.

The award-winning author — who wrote the seven best-selling Harry Potter reunion special had more to do with the movies, than her books. She was asked to be part of it, but refused to do so.

“No one said don't [do it]… I was asked to do it and I decided not to,” she added. Rowling has received a lot of backlash in the past couple of years, starting by showing for series of tweets criticising the belief that a person's assigned sex at birth is not “real.” Understandably, Rowling's comments were flooded with people pointing out her lapse in judgement, with many boycotting the Harry Potter franchise.

Online campaigns were raised, calling for Rowling's exclusion from all future Harry Potter properties, including movies, book sales, and the Warner Bros. representative confirmed that Rowling's connection to the franchise was a “creative, productive, and fulfilling partnership.” “She is one of the world's most accomplished storytellers, and we are proud to be the studio to bring her vision, characters, and stories to life now — and for decades to come,” they told Daily Mail UK.

While Rowling was credited for the screenplay and produced the Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, she was not part of any promotional or marketing activities. Many assumed that Warner Bros. was trying to distance itself from her, but its most recent remarks suggest otherwise.

Several of the Harry Potter cast, including Emma Watson, have openly opposed Rowling's anti-transgender views and made public statements against them. While Radcliffe wrote an essay disapproving of the author's beliefs, Watson took to Twitter, expressing, “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are.”

As of yet, the celebrated British author has not backed down or apologised for the statements, whilst denying that she is not transphobic. Meanwhile, Warner has based the possibility of a Fantastic Beasts 4 depending on the reception to The Secrets of Dumbledore. The Harry Potter spin-off film grossed $405.2 million (about Rs. 3,244 crore) at the global box office, paired with a mixed reception from fans and critics alike.

Why are they still making more Harry Potter? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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