But it was Rowling who opted not to be featured in Return To Hogwarts, not the show’s producers, sources revealed to Entertainment Weekly on Thursday.
Rowling was absent from the reunion after statements she made on transgender topics were labeled transphobic. But the writers have claimed that Rowling respects the rights of all trans people to feel comfortable and authentic.
Her choice: JK rowling, 56, along with her publicist team, made the decision for her to not appear in the Harry Potter reunion special Return To Hogwarts via archive footage. Entertainment Weekly reported Thursday that she was only appearing in this episode. This film can be seen in London in 2017.
Reports say that the author, 56 years old, was approached to film new footage. But she and her team decided on a 2018 interview.
According to sources close to the decision, her comments about transgender people and gender didn’t influence the decision not to participate in the special.
Rowling’s crew reportedly did not base their decision on Rowling’s recent scandals, however it isn’t clear what role they had in helping to decide what footage she would use in Return To Hogwarts.
The Casual Vacancy author was reportedly featured only’sparingly,’ according to the special.
It was not a factor. The decision was not influenced by Rowling’s remarks about gender or transgender persons according to people close to it. Daniel Radcliffe, pictured in Return To Hogwarts
Harry Potter will still be praised for her writing, despite her inability to write new material.
A teaser for the New Year’s Day special — viewed by The Independent — shows Bonnie Wright (who played Ginny Weasley), Daniel Radcliffe (who starred as the eponymous character) and Robbie Coltrane (the man behind Hagrid) discussing the author.
Also, you can see her in an interview from 2019, discussing how difficult it was to cast Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone.
Rowling is back
Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint will join Radcliffe in this eagerly anticipated reunion.
Despite the star-studded turnout, the author behind the stratospherically successful franchise, JK Rowling, was not in attendance at the reunion special.
However, The Independent has now made it clear that she will be the center of attention as the cast discusses her penmanship.
Bonnie stated that many were in love with JKR Rowling’s writing. Daniel continued, “It’s easy to forget at the time that people were discussing “the death reading”.”
Open: A teaser for the New Year’s Day special, shows Bonnie Wright, (far right) who played Ginny Weasley. Daniel Radcliffe was the star of Hagrid’s eponymous character. He also played Robbie Coltrane.
Robbie Coltrane is a big fan of the author and praises him for inspiring people to read the special.
Robbie agreed: “One reason I admire JK so greatly is that millions of people now read books, who wouldn’t have picked up a book in their life. And you suddenly realise the power and beauty of writing.”
Rowling is seen in 2019 talking about her struggle to find a child actor who could play Harry. “We couldn’t find Harry. It got weird and panicky.”
Following her excitement at having Daniel play the part, she said, “It was very moving seeing this child sitting there and speaking and I thought, “Yep that’s him. Thank God, we found him.”
JK wasn’t initially announced. There has been much controversy over JK in recent years, after she posted about biological sex which led to backlash against her and an subsequent “cancellation” from the trans community.
She took to Twitter in June 2020 to critique an opinion piece using the term “people who menstruate” rather than women to include transgender men.
The conversation continued on a thread about biological sex.
Controversy Rowling came under renewed scrutiny after Troubled Blood was published. It featured a male serial killer wearing women’s clothing in order to catch victims.
Rowling stated later that Rowling respects the rights of every trans person to live however they choose. Rowling went on to add that she would march for anyone who was discriminated against due to being trans.
The Associated Press reports that she also said “At the exact same time, I have been shaped because of being female,” as the Associated Press stated at the time. “I don’t believe that it is hateful to state so.
Then, in September 2020, she faced renewed accusations of transphobia after it was revealed the the villain in her latest book, Troubled Blood — written under Rowling’s pseudonym Robert Galbraith — is a male serial killer who puts on a woman’s coat and a wig to slay his victims, though he is never explicitly described as being transgender.
These remarks were criticized by Harry Potter stars Radcliffe and Grint as well as Watson, Watson, Grint and Watson, all of whom star in the Fantastic Beasts movies.
Speaking out: In the wake of these remarks, Harry Potter actors Radcliffe, Grint, Watson (all pictured above) and Eddie Redmayne, who stars in her Fantastic Beasts films, criticized the author