The new Harry Potter child stars have confirmed my worst fears
I used to be your typical Potterhead – during my youth, I had Harry Potter posters pinned up in my room, followed countless fan accounts online and attended the opening day screenings for all the later films.
Still now in the corner of my childhood bedroom a discarded Gryffindor scarf, Fleur Delacour's wand, and battered copies of the original book series sit collecting dust.
When I saw the news of an open casting call (where anyone can audition, regardless of experience) for leads in the new HBO series I felt worry bloom in the pit of my stomach.
And now our three newcomers have been cast with Dominic McLaughlin in the role of Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley – that concern has only increased.
And that's for two reasons – firstly, because I've left the 'Potterverse' firmly in the past after JK Rowling's offensive comments on transgender people and think the entire franchise needs to be forgotten about.
But also because I'm truly concerned about what will happen to the new Harry, Ron, and Hermione, plucked from childhood and obscurity and flung into stardom.
Not only will this trio of unknown actors star in what will surely become one of the most heavily scrutinised TV shows this decade, but all under the creative jurisdiction of someone who has, in my view, opposed the rights of a marginalised community.
We have already seen the dangers this level of fame can create, even before the author of the series descended into Twitter troll status.
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During the height of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson's stint as the golden trio, Emma almost called it quits due to the pressure and Daniel struggled with drinking heavily (and has since been almost 15 years sober).
Years later, I'm seriously impressed with all three actors.
Not only for their stability in life, considering the extraordinary pressure they were under from such a young age, but for remaining firm allies of the transgender community as it remains under attack from JK Rowling.
So I worry for the young soon-to-be stars stepping into their shoes for a rebooted series that no-one was really asking for.
If anything, the new series almost feels like watching a car crash in slow motion. Morbid but difficult to look away from.
It's already a PR nightmare with a controversial author behind the source material and constant speculation about the ultimate fate of the company behind the reboot, Warner Brother Discovery, which has seen its stock price plummet and desperately needs this show to be a success.
There are all the elements for disaster waiting to happen – and while, for me, schadenfreude is tempting given Rowling's behaviour – I'm worried that these innocent children will be the collateral damage.
There are so many reasons for fans and non-fans alike to oppose this new series.
Chiefly, of course, is mine and many former fans' moral object to lining Rowling's pocket as she continues to make comments about trans women and others that shock and disgust many people.
We need only look at her recent commentary about Olympic boxer Imane Khalif to see how far down this rabbit hole she has gone.
Not only can the Harry Potter set, in my view, never be a safe environment for trans and non-binary actors, but given the increasingly foul taste Rowling is leaving in her critics' mouths, the whole project appears to be growing more taboo by the day.
Unlike the blockbuster film franchise, which saw iconic British stars such as Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith and Julie Walters pass through its doors, for me the relaunched big-budget TV show will act as a litmus test for the morals of established actors.
How many will want to risk potentially losing the respect of their fanbase for an unnecessary remake of a fantasy series?
All this leads me to say that, clearly, Harry Potter is a cultural relic in more ways than one.
The films only left cinemas just over a decade ago, which hardly warrants enough time passed to re-imagine them.
Meanwhile, spin-off content like the Fantastic Beasts franchise has clearly lost all momentum.
That series has been plagued with its own scandal by featuring controversial actors Ezra Miller and Johnny Depp, which, coupled with a lack of popularity, the original five-film plan has seemingly been put on an indefinite hiatus. More Trending
Much like the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, the whole series is starting to seem cursed.
Instead of re-creating a series that already has a widely-beloved on screen adaptation and a controversial author, why not invest in new fantasy adaptations that are truly forward-looking?
In 2025, there are better options for us to be investing our time and money in so that we can finally leave Harry Potter where it belongs – in the past.
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This article was first published on September 12, 2024.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk.
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