The absence of author J.K. Rowling from Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts was conspicuous.
There are well-known brands and Harry Potter. When J.K. Rowling’s books became popular, The Wizarding World appeared on the scene. Later, the franchise expanded to include movies, amusement parks, and even stage plays. Recently, the Harry Potter film franchise’s actors and crew taped a charming reunion event for HBO Max, but the author herself was conspicuously absent. Rowling has now clarified the precise reason she chose not to take part in Return to Hogwarts.
This year’s New Year’s Day saw the HBO Max debut of the reunion show Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, which was a gift for Potterheads. The group’s reunion thrilled generations of fans, but the absence of J.K. Rowling from the cast, other than in old archival material, certainly raised eyebrows. Rowling recently went on The Graham Norton Radio Show (via YouTube) and revealed why she actually didn’t appear for the streaming special, contrary to what some people had assumed may be the case given the controversy surrounding her. As she stated,
That’s all there is to it. Some speculated that J.K. Rowling might have been purposely left out of Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, the author insists that although she was invited, she choose not to take the chance. And we are fully aware of her motivations for doing so.
Given her continuous association with Warner Bros. and the franchise through endeavours like the Fantastic Beasts franchise and the Cursed Child plays, J.K. Rowling’s remarks to Graham Norton really make a lot of sense. She was thus requested to take part in the Harry Potter reunion special but declined. Specifically because it dealt with the eight movie shoots, which Rowling wasn’t always there for.
As previously mentioned, J.K. Rowling has been the subject of a number of controversies over recent years, largely related to her views on the transgender community. Plenty of icons from the Harry Potter franchise came out against her views, including the trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. So when she wasn’t involved in Return to Hogwarts, some folks online debated whether or not she was even invited. But now we know the truth about how it all went down.
J.K. Rowling has continued writing the Fantastic Beasts movies in the midst of these controversies, most recently the threequel The Secrets of Dumbledore. It’s currently unclear if Warner Bros. is moving forward with the final two installments of the planned franchise. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
