While we're not quite reopening the Chamber of Secrets just yet, HBO has grand plans to retell the Harry Potter saga on the small screen. Warner Bros. has made nearly $10 billion from the eight mainline films and three Fantastic Beasts outings, and although Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 only came out in 2011, this era of reboots and remakes seemingly has dollar signs ringing in the studio's eyes.
Now, there are plans to adapt the seven Harry Potter books into seven seasons of a reboot TV series on HBO Max.
There have been numerous controversies surrounding the idea, not least for the divisive views of franchise author J.K. Rowling. Following her many posts online about the transgender community, there have been vocal calls to boycott the Harry Potter reboot or anything tied to the Wizarding World. That didn't stop Hogwarts Legacy from dethroning Call of Duty as the best-selling game of 2023, but as Rowling's stance has arguably become more hardened since then, some have called out her involvement as an executive producer.
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Elsewhere, there's been a similar uproar about the casting of Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape in the HBO Max show. Many think Alan Rickman was perfect as the stoic Professor of Potions at Hogwarts, but away from this, there's been an unfortunately loud movement of people taking issue with Essideu playing a race-swapped Snape.
Elon Musk was previously accused of costing Netflix billions when he told his followers to cancel the 'woke' streaming service, and he took issue with Barack Obama, but even though Harry Potter's critics claim it's gone down a similar route with its casting of Snape, the world's richest man doesn't seem to have an issue this time around.
Despite mixed messages about how much Rowling has been involved in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (the official title for season 1), she took to X to make her feelings clear. Shortly after celebrating the International Olympic Committee’s decision to ban transgender women from competing in women’s events at the worldwide sporting event, Rowling gushed about the Harry Potter reboot.
While many have been split by the trailer or are flat-out refusing to watch due to the various controversies, one fan posted on X and wrote: "Hey @jk_rowling The trailer for the new Harry Potter looks bloody marvellous. I cannot wait, and as it seems to me, neither can the rest of the world❤️🪄."
This caught the attention of Rowling herself, who responded: "It's going to be incredible. I'm so happy with it."
The author's high praise was quickly shared by others, with Elon Musk then resharing her post.
Many of Rowling's critics have pointed out that her timeline has largely become dominated by posts against the LGBTQ+ community, which led to a now-infamous post where Musk gave her some advice. Back in May 2024, the tech mogul wrote: "While I heartily agree with your points regarding sex/gender, may I suggest also posting interesting and positive content on other matters?"
Ironically, Rowling and Musk were separately named in a harassment lawsuit from Algerian boxer Imane Khelif when they were both accused of "acts of aggravated cyberbullying."
It seems the Harry Potter reboot will at least have one viewer in the form of Elon Musk, and with an acting resume that includes Iron Man 2, Machete Kills, and more, maybe he's angling for a part as Gilderoy Lockhart in season 2.