HBO’s latest cash grab on overdone IP—that is, the upcoming Harry Potter TV series—is nearly upon us, and the network has just made the first round of casting announcements. As anyone could have predicted, the cast list has sparked criticism for the actors’ decision to participate in the continued relevance of JK Rowling and…for going woke?
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On Monday, HBO confirmed the first six actors for the upcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation. The series, which is slated to air in 2026, will adapt the seven books to one season each. That means we have seven years of Harry Potter and Rowling discourse to look forward to.
John Lithgow already shared that he would be playing Albus Dumbledore back in February, despite the lack of official confirmation from HBO. According to the 3rd Rock From the Sun actor, he was aware his casting might be controversial—that is, because he’s American. “An American joining the show means it may not be putting as much of a focus on casting only British actors,” he said.
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Joining Lithgow are Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) as Argus Filch, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds) as Minerva McGonagall, and stage actor Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell.
As each of these roles (with the exception of Filch) are series regulars, these actors will likely spend the next seven years defending their decision to participate in a show executive produced by anti-trans and (now) anti-ace author JK Rowling. But two in particular are disappointing queer fans the hardest.
Paul Whitehouse has earned a massive following in the UK over his decades-long sketch career, making him a familiar face on TV. Not only does Nick Frost have an equally loyal fanbase from the Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz films, he is reportedly starring in a TV adaptation of the popular trans web series Transaction, created by trans comedian Jordan Gray.
And then, there are those looking forward to the Harry Potter series. On that side of the internet lies a whole Quidditch field of fan accounts complaining that Severus Snape is being played by a Black actor.
The idea that this entire production profiting off of transphobia has ‘gone woke’ is, of course, absurd. But how can we expect critical thinking from people who haven’t outgrown children’s literature? It’s almost like a bigoted author has nurtured an entire ecosystem of toxic fans, somehow.
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