MOVIE NEWS – HBO Max’s Harry Potter convention is the biggest of its kind in years, yet the author of the franchise did not attend. Why?

I don’t think anyone needs to be introduced to the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Since the publication of the first book in 1997, J.K. Rowling’s brilliant series of novels has built up a massive readership of all ages. What’s more, last December marked the 20th anniversary of the first-ever film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. (Or, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, as that was the movie’s title.)

This magical saga spanned eight Harry Potter films, with the prequel films to The Legendary Beasts following on from the conclusion of the original series in 2011. The actors who have brought Rowling’s iconic novels to life on the screen have become the embodiment of their characters in Harry Potter: much of the last ten years have been spent trying to break down this still-strongly-held image, some with more success, others less. HBO Max has brought the cast together to reflect on their time in the wizarding world, reminisce, and let the world know where they are now. But one person is conspicuously absent from Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts: J.K. Rowling herself. Here’s everything we know at the moment about why.

What has been officially revealed

The rumours surrounding Rowling’s absence are numerous. Putting an end to speculation as to why the author chose to put her persona on the back burner for the convention she was so instrumental in bringing to life, Entertainment Weekly reported that Rowling and her team declined the invitation sent to them by Warner Bros. and that Rowling’s excusal from attending had nothing to do with her past transphobic comments. The team behind Rowling said that the author will appear in archival footage recorded in 2019 and deemed it “sufficient for a special.”

What they speculate about

Despite Rowling’s team’s insistence that the author’s rejection is unrelated to her strong transphobic attitudes and the controversy that has ensued, the team’s press statement is not convincing enough to dispel the doubts of those who have witnessed Rowling’s ongoing hate speech.

In her most recent statement, Rowling made distasteful remarks about the sexual assault on gender identity, where she compared the recently introduced policy of gender recognition in the courts to George Orwell’s 1984. Rowling’s aggression towards the transgender community has been publicly noted since 6 June 2020, after she tweeted, ” ‘people who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” in response to a gender-neutral article. Rowling published the novel Troubled Blood, which has been accused of containing alleged transphobic content. Its protagonist is a cisgender man who dresses as a woman and poses as a woman to stalk and kill his victims.

Rowling’s apparently unacceptable and ongoing narrative has led many to distance themselves from engaging with her as a person. Warner Bros. announced in 2020 that it was retaliating for the endless flood of anti-trans tweets, though it will continue to support the Legendary Beasts franchise under a five-film contract. While Rowling’s team adamantly denies that Rowling’s transphobic behaviour did not contribute to the reasoning behind her refusal to return to Hogwarts, it is difficult to imagine any other reason for her absence then this conflict.

Opinion of the Harry Potter cast

Members of the Harry Potter cast have shown zero tolerance for J.K. Rowling and have distanced themselves as far as possible from any association with her. Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, spoke to The Trevor Project about the controversy:

“I realize that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now. While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment. Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, has expressed her support for the transgender community via a series of tweets.

“Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are. I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you, and love you for who you are.”

Rupert Grint and Bonnie Wright, who play Ron and Ginny Weasely respectively, also spoke out against J.K. Rowling’s essay on gender. “I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men,” Grint said, as published in the Sunday Times. “We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.” Wright linked to her own tweet, writing: “if Harry Potter was a source of love and belonging for you, that love is infinite and there to take without judgment or question. Transwomen are Women. I see and love you, Bonnie x.”

The studio behind it all, Warner Bros, joined the chorus and spoke out against Rowling’s anti-trans rhetoric after the author refused to stop publishing her negative stance on transgender identities. According to Variety, the studio has expressed solidarity with those targeted by Rowling’s remarks and has issued a statement in response.

“Warner Bros.’ position on inclusiveness is well established, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world. We deeply value the work of our storytellers who give so much of themselves in sharing their creations with us all. We recognize our responsibility to foster empathy and advocate understanding of all communities and all people, particularly those we work with and those we reach through our content.”

Exactly why Rowling stayed away from the event, in the end, will presumably never be known in detail. However, in this situation, it would perhaps not be surprising to assume that, in order not to deepen the conflict further and avoid any awkward moments, the actors agreed that Warner would send an invitation, which the author would politely decline, and everyone would be better off…

Source: Terra.cl