HBO Max has dropped a teaser for its ‘Harry Potter’ 20th-anniversary special, which brings together many of the actors from the original movie's production – but not the author of the books, J.K. Rowling herself.
The retrospective reunion special involves cast members who took part in launching one of the best-selling franchises in the world. That, of course, includes the wizarding trio comprising Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, but the special will also see countless other actors who appeared in the eight ‘Harry Potter’ movies, as well as the two spinoffs. The last slate of the teaser trailer actually lists the names of the actors who fans can expect to see in the special. However, J.K. Rowling is not mentioned anywhere.
Rowling has had a heated falling-out with the transgender community, after making statements regarding sex and gender. After she stated that ‘people who menstruate’ should be called ‘women’, many felt she had devalued the experiences of trans people. She received massive backlash for her opinion and was even doxxed. Since then, many have distanced themselves from her and her comments. Many ‘Harry Potter’ cast members even released statements disavowing Rowling’s position on the topic of sex. Lead star Daniel Radcliffe was the first to issue a rebuttal, and he was soon followed by the rest of the magic trio, among others involved in the movie productions.
Neither Rowling herself nor the team behind the reunion has confirmed or denied that her absence has anything to do with her statements.
Since the initial backlash, the status of the relationships between the author and the cast have been unclear. Despite the disavowal of Rowling’s comments, none of the lead cast members have outright attacked the author, and even Radcliffe seems to still hold her in high regard, stating in a recent BBC interview “She is an immensely intelligent, funny, kind human being and I think that obviously comes across in her writing.”
However, judging by the latest trailer, it seems the author’s presence has been deemed more trouble than it’s worth. HBO Max has confirmed that she will not be making an appearance in the reunion special, but has said archival footage of Rowling will be featured.
The anniversary special will premiere on New Year’s Day 2022 on the HBO Max streaming platform, ahead of the third spinoff in the franchise, ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’.