JK Rowling reveals honest thoughts on Harry Potter TV series
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has given her approval of the hotly anticipated HBO MAX TV series adaptation after reading scripts for the first couple of episodes.
The British writer became one of the most famous novelists on the planet in the late 90s upon rolling out the first of seven spellbinding books, and eight subsequent film releases, with several other fantastical stories to her name.
Following the blockbuster success of the film series, Rowling joined HBO Max in 2023 as an executive producer, but not a full-time screenwriter.
However, she was glowing her praise of the early scripts.
'I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!' she told fans on X at the weekend.
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One fan asked Rowling to clarify her role, puzzled that she wasn't more closely involved in the writing process, considering her unmatched credentials.
'So you are not doing the writing for this show?' the X user asked.
'No, but I've worked closely with the extremely talented writers,' Rowling confirmed.
The author has become a highly controversial figure online due to her very public transgender views and condemnation of 'woke' culture.
Somewhat ironically, devout fans of the series have questioned the choice of creators to update the ethnicity of certain characters in a deviation from previous depictions.
Some even argue that the 'race swapping' creates racial undertones where they may not have existed before.
'Race-swapping Snape changes the entire dynamic- and not in a good way. James bullies... a black guy. Lily rejects... a black guy. Snape being black injects racism into the story,' one user said. Arabella Stanton, Dominic McLaughlin and Alastair Stout as Hermione, Harry and Ron. Credit: Warner Bros
Severus Snape — a crowd favourite throughout the film series — was played by the late Alan Rickman, with British actor Paapa Essiedu cast in the role for TV.
Other fans did offer support for the adaptation after devoting their childhoods to the fictional wizarding world.
'I am childishly excited for this series. This will be my 5-year-old Potter that she grows up with,' one fan wrote.
'I'm soooooo excited!!' another said.
In May, the series revealed a new crop of emerging actors would play the three key roles, with Dominic McLaughlin to play Harry Potter, Alastair Stout cast as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton to star as Hermione Granger. The characters were previously played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. Credit: Getty Images
The same iconic roles catapulted the careers of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, respectively.
HBO auditioned more than 32,000 children in pursuit of their Harry, with key figures outlining just how extensive the search for the key roles had been.
'The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen,' showrunner Francesca Gardiner and executive producer and director Mark Mylod said in a statement.
'We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.'
Filming is expected to begin in the European summer of 2025, with a likely premiere hitting screens in 2027.
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