JK Rowling taunts Harry Potter TV show boycotters with sarcastic post

JK Rowling has responded to people threatening to boycott HBO Max’s new Harry Potter TV show with a sarcastic tweet.

Earlier this month, HBO confirmed two major developments: its streaming service will be renamed Max following Warner Bros’ merger with Discovery; and the long-rumored Harry Potter series is actually going ahead, with Rowling serving as an executive producer.

Rather than continuing the saga, like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, or investing in a spinoff, like Fantastic Beasts, the new show will retell the stories of the books across 10 years of television with a brand-new cast.

The announcement was met with a vast amount of cynicism and criticism, particularly aimed at the involvement of Rowling, but she’s responded with an aloof post.

JK Rowling responds to Harry Potter TV show boycott

In a recent tweet, Rowling wrote: “Dreadful news, which I feel duty bound to share.

“Activists in my mentions are trying to organize yet another boycott of my work, this time of the Harry Potter TV show. As forewarned is forearmed, I’ve taken the precaution of laying in a large stock of champagne.”

The planned boycotts stem from different grievances. Some have expressed anger at the mere idea of a remake, given the popularity and quality of the movie adaptations. Others have taken issue with Rowling’s role following accusations of transphobia, which she denies.

It’s not the first time fans have planned to boycott her work: Hogwarts Legacy, which is set in the world of Harry Potter, sparked intense debate about the morality of buying the game.

HBO and Max’s content head Casey Bloys refused to fully address the controversy surrounding Rowling, describing it as a “very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated, and not something we’re going to get into.”

You can find out more about the Harry Potter TV show here.