One of the projects that is set to be one of the most popular of 2026 is HBO Max’s reimagining of Harry Potter in the form of a TV show. Harry Potter is one of these interesting franchises that is beloved for its books and movies. But at the same time, there is a lot of resentment towards the franchise because of JK Rowling and her worldviews. Because of this, the TV show has sparked a lot of controversy, and season two of the show is already filming, which means casting has begun. Due to this, a lot of people have been getting flak on social media for joining this TV show. Is this fair? Is it not fair? Let us talk about it!
My Thoughts
This has kind of been an ongoing debate/conversation ever since they started casting and promoting the upcoming Harry Potter TV show. For obvious reasons, several skeptics are surrounding the show related to people being against the idea of them rebooting Harry Potter, and then of course because of Rowling’s political views stepping on a lot of people’s toes. Every time we get a new actor joining the Harry Potter TV show, Twitter reacts to this and starts hating on the actor. The most recent example comes from just a few weeks back when Nicholas Hoult was cast as Lockhart in season two of the show, season two I believe has started filming or they are close to filming. He was attached for a few days when eventually Kit Harington was cast and it looks like he is going to be Lockhart for the TV show. When Hoult was cast and when Harrington was cast, people started hating on them and saying that they support J.K. Rowling and how everybody that joins Harry Potter loses their backbone.
I am just going to say this right now, I do not like Rowling and I do NOT support her views. But I am still a fan of Harry Potter, and I even saw Sorcerer’s Stone on the big screen a couple of weeks ago and it was awesome.
However, I do think some of the mentality of hating an actor because they join Harry Potter is weird. I am not part of the LGBTQ community, but I do have several friends who are part of the community. Some of them even love Harry Potter but hate Rowling and that is fine. Just because you love what she created does not mean that you love and support her. That is the mentality that people need to have moving forward with this TV show. Just because an actor joins a TV show does not mean they support Rowling and it is stupid and dangerous to assume that. The views that Rowling supports have been gross, idiotic, and stupid, they are views that I do not support. And if you are assuming an actor supports what Rowling supports just because they joined the show, that is not good. You are accusing people of serious things that may or may not be true. What is weird is Hoult being criticized for this, he has openly supported the LGBTQ community. He does not share the same political views as Rowling, there’s interviews and quotes of him supporting the community. There’s evidence out there that contradicts these statements and predictions about Hoult’s views about the LGBTQ community. People are 100% allowed to take issue with Rowling’s views and what she is putting her money towards, that is 100% valid. But what is not valid, is accusing actors of supporting toxic and disgusting stuff when there is no actual evidence of them supporting that.
The other part about this, Harrington and Hoult are actors. Part of their jobs is to take jobs so they can build out a resume and pay the bills. When he gets offered a part in a TV show, he is going to at least consider taking it. You look at the age of Harrington and Hoult, and they auditioned for the parts in the movie but did not get them. So, it is even a childhood dream to be in Harry Potter, and they are ignoring Rowling’s viewpoints just so they can be in Harry Potter and be in the franchise they were once rejected for.
In conclusion, I do not think you should hate an actor for joining the Harry Potter TV show. But I do fully acknowledge and understand if you have big issues with J.K. Rowling and you do not want to watch this show because of that, that is completely valid. But do not hate on other people for either watching it or for acting in it, it is a dangerous road to go down.
Comments
However, I personally think it is important that the actors are made aware how their contribution to this series directly adds to JK Rowling’s wealth, and therefore to the political cause against Trans people. I think her financial benefit is an often ignored part of the conversation, and that many actors don’t even think of it when they sign on. Thank you for reading!