Rowling has recently faced accusations of transphobia for
putting an emphasis on biological sex over gender identity in comments about
trans women. She denies the accusation.
Warner Bros. Discovery said the series will be "a
faithful adaptation" of Rowling's mega-selling books about the boy wizard
and will air on the entertainment company's rebranded streaming service Max.
The announcement confirms recent speculation that an
episode-based show on the magical world of Hogwarts was in the works.
"Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my
books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new
adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a
long form television series," Rowling said in a statement.
Warner Bros. Discovery said the stories from each of the
books will become "a decade-long series" featuring a new cast. No
timeline was given for when the show will be filmed.
During a press conference, Max content head Casey Bloys
declined to comment when asked whether Rowling's comments about trans people
would make it more difficult to find actors for the series.
The Scottish writer has been plagued by threats and
controversy since she publicly took issue in 2020 with the trans-inclusive
phrase "people who menstruate" being used instead of the word
"women."
"Obviously, the 'Harry Potter' story is incredibly
affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That's our
priority -- what's on screen," Variety quoted him as saying.
"She's an executive producer on the show. Her insights
are going to be helpful on that," he added.
The Max streaming service combines the platforms HBO Max and
Discovery Plus and will officially launch in the United States on May 23.
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