This week, HBO dropped the first trailer for its upcoming Harry Potter reboot, confirming the series will premiere this year on Christmas. HBO's upcoming series is a reboot of the original story, based on the book series from J.K. Rowling. Naturally, the project has faced scrutiny from those who take issue with Rowling’s anti-trans views.
Even some of the most passionate Harry Potter fans have distanced themselves franchise becuase of Rowling's personal beliefs, choosing to boycot the books, original films, and now the new television series.
Amid all the controversy, Andrew Garfield recently shared that he finally watched the Harry Potter movies for the first time. Even though he's been pretty vocal about supporting trans rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion, he still thinks the performances and the overall artistry in the films are so good that they shouldn't be dismissed just because of Rowling.
In an interview with Hits Radio, the Amazing Spider-Man star singled out Daniel Radcliffe’s portrayal of Harry Potter, praising his performance across the eight-film series.
“Daniel is so goddamn good. Honestly, I hadn’t watched the ‘Harry Potter’ movies until recently,” Garfield said. “He’s really good in those movies. Those ‘Harry Potter’ movies are really good. I know it’s controversial and we shouldn’t be putting money in the pocket of inhumane legislation right now through she that shall remain nameless, but the soul and spirit… the essence of the themes of those films and the kids and the artisans and the craft people. I’m working with a wonderful makeup artist, Claire, who worked on the creatures… you can’t throw the baby out of the bathwater. There are so many beautiful artists that worked on those films. I have a newfound appreciation for all of the artists, and Daniel is great.”
HBO's Harry Potter series is a complete reboot of the franchise. It's believed to be a much more faithful adaptation of the books with the ability to expand on character development and sublots that the film's just didn't have time to touch on. The series stars Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
Albus Dumbledore actor John Lithgow recently revealed to The New York Times that he nearly quit the project due to the backlash he received over being associated with Rowling. He ultimately decided to stay on, defending his decision by describing the Harry Potter books as “clearly on the side of the angels, against intolerance and bigotry."
Rowling is serving as executive producer on the series, but hasn't been hands-on in the day-to-day production. Following the debut of the trailer, Rowling told fans on social media that the show "is going to be incredible" and "I'm so happy with it."