It’s been 20 years since Warner Bros. released the blockbuster film, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” And now HBO Max is ready to honor that anniversary by bringing back all the people responsible for the ‘Harry Potter’ film franchise to talk about just how much the films changed their lives. Well, almost everyone…
You see, one of the biggest takeaways from the trailer for “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” is that everyone is coming back to talk about the film franchise. Everyone but one notable exception. You have stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. Hell, there are even directors like Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, and David Yates. It seems as if the special is going to talk to absolutely everyone…except the person responsible for everything, J.K. Rowling.
That’s right. If the trailer and credits that show up at the end are any indications, it would appear ‘Return to Hogwarts’ is seemingly going to ignore the woman behind everything, author J.K. Rowling. Why would HBO Max go so far as to distance itself from the person who created the Wizarding World? Obviously, it has to do with the transphobic social media posts from the author, who has seemingly put herself in a position where she staunchly refuses to apologize for offensive comments and defends her terrible comments on a regular basis.
Here are the two credits cards from the trailer to show the glaring omission:
Perhaps the special does include mention of J.K. Rowling and just the marketing is omitting the author. That could be the case. However, on New Year’s Day, when the special drops on HBO Max, if there is no mention of J.K. Rowling, it would go a long way to show just how WarnerMedia is treating the sticky situation. It also makes it really interesting when you think about how the marketing and publicity run for the upcoming “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” will handle everything, considering Rowling is a co-writer of the script and has played a pivotal role in that spinoff franchise.
Maybe the most intriguing aspect of the ‘Return to Hogwarts’ special is going to be how well the program will begin the rehabilitation of the ‘Harry Potter’ brand in the eyes of fans who have been torn with supporting a franchise founded by an openly transphobic author. Can the omission of Rowling from the public-facing aspects of ‘Harry Potter’ convince folks that it’s okay to support it again? We’ll find out.
“Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” will debut on January 1, 2022 on HBO Max.