Expelliarmus.
The head of HBO has insisted that the new âHarry Potterâ series will not be âsecretly infusedâ with author J. K. Rowlingâs controversial anti-transgender views.
Casey Bloys, who serves as CEO of the network giant, discussed the upcoming show, Rowling, and her divisive rhetoric during an episode of Matthew Belloniâs âThe Townâ podcast.
HBO exec Casey Bloys has insisted that the upcoming âHarry Potterâ series wonât be âsecretly infusedâ with author J.K. Rowlingâs âpersonal political views.â FilmMagic for HBO
J.K. Rowling has faced backlash for her outspoken views against the transgender community. Getty Images
âThe decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us. Weâve been in business for 25 years,â Bloys explained on Wednesday, April 30. âWe already have a show on HBO from her called âC.B. Strikeâ that we do with the BBC.â
Like âC.B. Strike,â the upcoming âHarry Potterâ adaptation on HBO will see Rowling, 59, serve as an executive producer. However, Bloys insisted that Rowlingâs role as an executive producer does not mean that her âpersonal political viewsâ will be âsecretly infusedâ into the show.
ââHarry Potterâ is not being secretly infused with anything,â he said. âI think itâs pretty clear that those are her personal political views. Sheâs entitled to them.â
Casey Bloys first announced HBOâs new âHarry Potterâ series in April 2023. HBO
âAnd if you want to debate her,â the HBO exec added, âyou can go on Twitter.â
Bloys discussed Rowling and the controversy surrounding her outspoken views shortly after first announcing the new âHarry Potterâ series in April 2023.
At the time, he said that the matter was a âvery online conversation, very nuanced and complicated and not something weâre going to get into.â
âI think itâs pretty clear that those are her personal political views,â HBO exec Casey Bloys said of J.K. Rowlingâs stance. âSheâs entitled to them.â REUTERS
âOur priority is whatâs on the screen,â he continued, per Variety. âObviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. Thatâs our priority â whatâs on screen.â
Bloysâ latest remarks come after more than 2,000 actors signed an open letter pledging support for the trans community in response to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdomâs ruling that the terms âwomanâ and âsexâ refer only to a biological woman and biological sex.
Several of the actors who signed the pledge, including âFantastic Beastsâ star Eddie Redmayne and Severus Snape actor Paapa Essiedu, have worked or will be working on projects connected to âHarry Potter.â
J.K. Rowling faced renewed backlash after celebrating the Supreme Court of the United Kingdomâs recent ruling against trans individuals. REUTERS
âWe the undersigned film and television professionals stand in solidarity with the trans, nonbinary and intersex communities who have been impacted by the Supreme Court ruling on April 16,â they wrote.
âFilm and television are powerful tools for empathy and education, and we believe passionately in the ability of the screen to change hearts and minds,â the actors continued. âThis is our opportunity to be on the right side of history.â
Meanwhile, Rowling faced backlash for celebrating the Supreme Courtâs surprising ruling.
âI love it when a plan comes together,â J.K. Rowling tweeted after the Supreme Courtâs ruling. jk_rowling/X
âThink I might be having a cigar later,â she tweeted after the ruling was handed down.
âI love it when a plan comes together,â Rowling added in a second tweet at the time.
John Lithgow, who will star as Albus Dumbledore in the new âHarry Potterâ series, has also been dragged into the controversy surrounding Rowlingâs views.
During an interview with the Times of London on April 27, Lithgow revealed that he has already received significant backlash for joining the project.
âI thought, âWhy is this a factor at all?â I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it,â the âConclaveâ actor, 79, said. âI suppose at a certain point Iâll meet her, and Iâm curious to talk to her.â