J.K. Rowling Just Backed the Harry Potter Reboot—And She's Helping Write It
The new Harry Potter reboot is officially moving forward, and J.K. Rowling is back in the thick of it—despite the growing online push to boycott the series over her public stance on transgender issues.
Production on the HBO reboot begins this summer, with a planned premiere in 2026, and Rowling's involvement has now been confirmed—again. In a June 21 post on X, the author revealed:
"I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!"
When asked if she was actually writing the show, Rowling replied:
"No, but I've worked closely with the extremely talented writers."
This follows earlier reports that she was part of the initial pitch process and remains involved as an executive producer through her Brontë Film and TV banner.
HBO CEO Casey Bloys previously addressed Rowling's involvement during an appearance on The Town podcast, saying:
"The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us... We already have a show on HBO from her called C.B. Strike that we do with the BBC."
He added that while her views are "personal and political," they won't influence the content of the show: "Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. If you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter."
Still, her public endorsement of the series immediately kicked off another round of polarized responses online.
Some longtime Potter fans doubled down on plans to skip the show entirely, with posts like "Just cancelled HBO" and "Waiting until the day it premieres to cancel HBO MAX." Others questioned the performative nature of the outrage, with comments like, "You're going to fund it and then not watch… lolol."
Several users also noted the disconnect between Rowling's far-right fanbase and her apparent approval of the series' inclusive casting:
"The cognitive dissonance of her new found far right following finding out she approves of the casting, ha!"
That casting includes Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape, who previously signed a letter opposing Rowling's views on trans rights after she praised a UK Supreme Court ruling limiting legal recognition for trans women.
Other commenters predict the show will do just fine, citing brand recognition and curiosity as major drivers.
"Just the name recognition alone will ensure it gets a lot of sampling. If it's even remotely tolerable, it'll be a hit."
So far, casting details are still coming out in pieces. But with Rowling herself now hyping the first two scripts, Harry Potter's next era is officially underway—and just as controversial as ever.