Harry Potter and the conspicuous absentee
Amid transgender row, no sign of JK Rowling as cast are reunited
TWENTY years on, the wizards who brought their magic to the screen were all there – but mysteriously, the chief alchemist was missing.
Harry Potter film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were reunited for a TV special. However Harry’s creator JK Rowling was nowhere to be seen.
HBO Max announced Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts last month and confirmed cast members from all eight films, as well as original director Chris Columbus, would take part in the TV special, to be screened in the UK by Sky on New Year’s Day. A photograph released yesterday showed Radcliffe, Grint and Miss Watson chatting in red armchairs on the Gryffindor common room set at the Warner Bros Studio Tour London near Watford.
A source close to the project said the TV special focuses on the creation of the first film, Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone.
It is believed Miss Rowling, who trod the red carpet alongside the actors at the films’ premieres, including the final one ten years ago for Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2, will merely feature in archive footage.
The 56-year-old, whose Potter books are the biggest-selling in history, has not publicly commented on or acknowledged her absence from the reunion.
But she has found herself at the centre of a storm of criticism over her views on transgender rights, while Radcliffe, 32, Grint, 33, Miss Watson, 31, and other cast members have voiced their support for the trans community.
Miss Rowling has faced accusations of transphobia since publishing an essay on her website in June last year in which she argued that gender identity should not be given priority over one’s biological sex. It followed her being labelled a Terf – trans-exclusionary radical feminist – after taking issue on Twitter with the term ‘people who menstruate’ being used for women.
Radcliffe said he was ‘deeply sorry for the pain’ caused by her comments. He said: ‘Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people.’
Without mentioning the author, Miss Watson said: ‘I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.’
Miss Rowling later said ‘hundreds of trans activists have threatened to beat, rape, assassinate and bomb’ her.