HBO’s new version of the “Harry Potter” series, scheduled to air on Christmas, is facing much controversy.

The Hogwarts door opens again when fans have their first look at the “Harry Potter” series produced by HBO, with Dominic McLaughlin playing the witch boy.

The series’ trailer was released on March 25, revealing the appearance of the cast including John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu, Katherine Parkinson, Nick Frost, Janet McTeer…

Although many viewers expressed interest in the trailer, this project still caused controversy right from its announcement in 2021. Now, when the release date is less than a year away, the debate is predicted to continue to prolong.

Controversy from J.K. Rowling’s statement

In 2019, female author J.K. Rowling was reacted to when she publicly supported Maya Forstater – who was fired after posts on social media related to gender identity policies. Later, Rowling continued to criticize the use of the term “menstrual” to include both transgender and non-binary genders, while denying the view that biological gender does not exist.

These statements caused a part of the audience to call for a boycott of the Harry Potter series, and at the same time criticize actors participating in the project.
New Harry Potter version boycotted by the author’s statement. Photo: Producer
Actor John Lithgow – who plays Dumbledore – said he had considered withdrawing from the project before the wave of reactions. He also affirmed that he disagreed with Rowling’s point of view, saying they are “sarcasmatic and incomprehensible”, especially when her books “clearly side with the good, against tolerance and prejudice”.

Meanwhile, Nick Frost – as Hagrid shared: “She has the right to express her point of view and so do I, but those two points of view completely do not coincide in any form.

Actors threatened by race issues

Paapa Essiedu became the first black to take on the role of Severus Snape. Previously, this classic role was played by the late actor Alan Rickman in the film version. However, this choice led to many negative reactions.
Actor who plays Snape is threatened with death. Photo: Producer
The 35-year-old actor said he had received racist threats.

I was threatened with’Get out of the role or I’ll kill you’,” Essiedu shared, while admitting: “It’s not true to say that it doesn’t affect my emotions.

The selection of Essiedu was announced from December 2024, leading to a wave of criticism from a part of the audience opposing Snape being portrayed by a black actor.

Actor Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, spoke out to defend his colleague, affirming that Essiedu is “one of the best actors” he has ever seen. At the same time, he criticized negative racist comments from a part of the overzealous audience towards Essiedu.

Faced with the situation of actors receiving threats, HBO CEO Casey Bloys confirmed that the film crew has implemented strict security measures.

He said: “With a large fan base and many opposing opinions, things can sometimes become scary. Therefore, the film crew has prepared a serious security team to protect the actors.

Actors are also warned in advance about the possibility of facing “annoying and offensive” behavior from some viewers, as well as their behavior on social networks.

Debate on the necessity of a remake

Not only the audience, some filmmakers are also skeptical about the project. Director Chris Columbus – the person behind the success of the 2 Harry Potter film versions – believes that the new version has many similarities with the old series.

This opinion appeared after the image of Nick Frost as Hagrid was announced, with a look almost identical to the version performed by Robbie Coltrane before.

Columbus shared that he felt “déjà vu” when looking at the images and asked: “What is the purpose of remaking the series?”. He added: “I think the costumes and everything will be different, but the reality is still the same. Everything seems to be the same”.

Despite facing many mixed opinions, HBO’s “Harry Potter” series is still attracting great attention before its release date, while clearly reflecting the division in the global fan community.