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A few days ago, it was revealed that one of the actors from the upcoming Harry Potter series, Paapa Essiedu, signed an open letter in support of non-binary, transgender, and inters*x people. This open letter was in response to the recent UK Supreme Court ruling that defined the word "woman" as it pertained to the biological s*x.
Out of artists like Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Bridgerton/Featherington from Bridgerton), Bella Ramsey (Ellie from The Last of Us, Lyanna Mormont from Game of Thrones), Faye Marsay (Vel Sartha from Andor), writer-director Kate Herron (The Last of Us), and others, a name that stood out to me in the list of signatories is Paapa Essiedu, who was recently cast as Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter series.
His signature was surprising given his recent involvement with the upcoming Harry Potter series, which Rowling is involved in. Now, the author has revealed that she isn't going to take any action against Essiedu for signing the open letter in support of trans rights.
Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. It should also be noted that the article discusses Rowling's controversial online posts on LGBTQAI+ rights. Reader discretion is advised.
What does Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's latest X Post mean?
Rowling, who is the author who wrote all seven Harry Potter books, posted a screenshot of an article on her X account with the following caption:
"I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did. I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine."
Based on this X post and caption above, we can ascertain that Rowling isn't taking any type of action against the Severus Snape actor, whose casting already proved controversial amongst the fans. It should also be noted that Essiedu signing the pro-trans rights open letter might not help him win over any fans from the LGBTQAI+ community, who, since Rowling's recent actions, have denounced the Harry Potter franchise.
Their boycott also includes the upcoming HBO series, which would only enable the author to further harm the LGBTQAI+ community. However, there have been some voices from the upcoming Harry Potter series that have spoken in Rowling's favor.
John Lithgow and Casey Bloys bat come to the Harry Potter author's defence
Casey Bloys, the CEO of HBO and Max Content, and John Lithgow, who will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore in the series, recently issued statements that seem to sympathize with the British author.
Lithgow sat down for an interview with The Times of London recently, in which the actor revealed that one of his friends, who is the mother of a trans child, sent him a link to a letter that was titled, “An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away from Harry Potter”. However, the actor brushed everything aside, saying:
"That was the canary in the coal mine."
Then the actor opined that Rowling's comments and actions don't affect the project:
"I thought, ‘Why is this a factor at all?’ I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her."
When the interviewer asked the latest Dumbledore actor if he considered withdrawing from the project, Lithgow responded:
"Oh, heavens no."
Lithgow is not the only one trying to convince those who boycotted the franchise to give the show a chance, though. Casey Bloys appeared in a podcast titled The Town with Matthew Belloni, said this when asked whether Rowling's actions, including her posts, will affect the upcoming series. Bloys replied:
"The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us. We've been in business for 25 years. We already have a show on HBO from her called C.B. Strike that we do with the BBC. It's pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She's entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter."
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As the series is yet to begin filming, HBO's Harry Potter series doesn't have a release date.
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