“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling visited the set of the new TV series HBO is filming based on her books.
The series entered production in July, with filming taking place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and elsewhere in the U.K. It is set to be released on HBO and HBO Max sometime in 2027.
Rowling has become a controversial figure in the years following the mega-popularity of the “Harry Potter” books due to regularly sharing anti-trans views. She first voiced her sentiments in June 2020, at which point Warner Bros. released a statement saying that “a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important” without directly denouncing Rowling’s words or mentioning trans people. Rowling has doubled down constantly since then; Variety reported in 2024 that she had “posted or reposted more than 200 times (excluding replies) about trans-related issues” in just a two-month period.
Several actors from “Harry Potter” as well as “Fantastic Beasts,” a spinoff film series, have voiced support for trans and non-binary people in response to Rowling’s jabs, including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Eddie Redmayne. Perhaps most notably, Rowling has had a public rift with Emma Watson, saying she’d “never forgive” the Hermione actor for posting about trans rights online in response to Rowling’s own posts. Earlier this year, Watson said she was “most upset” that “a conversation was never made possible,” though she remained open to discussing the issue with Rowling. In the following days, Rowling enthusiastically shared a video making fun of what Watson said and then wrote on X that Watson “has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is” and slammed Watson for allegedly writing her a note expressing sympathy for hate Rowling was receiving online.
As HBO has continued to work on the new “Harry Potter” show, the network has stood behind Rowling. “J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement,” a spokesperson said to Variety last year, with network chief Casey Bloys saying at a press event that Rowling was “very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director” and that her anti-trans statements “haven’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or productions staff” for the show.
Deadline was first to report the news of Rowling’s visit to set.