Harry Potter and the cursed reboot that's already been plagued by controversy.

I solemnly swear that this Harry Potter reboot is up to no good.

Don't get me wrong, I am a massive Harry Potter fan; I'm one drunken night away from getting a lightning bolt tattoo on my forehead. So when I heard that HBO was rebooting the Wizarding World as a series, exploring the books in more detail, I was positively rapt.

Finally, I thought, we'll get to see all the things that the films missed. Peeves the Poltergeist. The O.W.L. exams. Ginny's Bat-Bogey Hex. Ginny's entire personality, for that matter.

But, Merlin's Beard, the more I learn about this reboot, the more it reminds me of Hogwarts' Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching position: Cursed. Here's why…

Watch: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 | Official Trailer. Post continues after video.

Harry Potter and the casting controversies.

Apart from author J.K. Rowling's own personal and problematic comments in real life — of which there are plenty — many people have scrutinised certain elements of the original Harry Potter books, calling on the reboot to improve diversity and representation.

Critics have previously called out Rowling's depiction of house elf slavery in the books, claiming it normalises servitude as the elves enjoy their enslaved status. They have also taken issue with Rowling's depiction of goblins, noting that they resemble anti-semitic caricatures. So far it's unclear how the reboot will tackle these storylines.

Then there are the criticisms about the poor representation of Asian culture; in particular, the character of Cho Chang. The name "Cho Chang" is not an authentic name in any specific Asian culture. "Cho" is typically a Korean surname, not a first name, and "Chang" is a common Chinese surname.

For the reboot, the casting call states that it will consider performers "without regard to ethnicity, sex, disability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity," which has sparked debate from various sides of the political spectrum. While some fans are not on board, others welcome the casting diversity as an opportunity to improve upon the original's shortcomings.

This approach has already yielded significant changes in the cast. After an extensive search that saw over 32,000 children audition, HBO recently announced the three lead actors: Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.

Image: HBO

While McLaughlin and Stout have generated little controversy, nine-year-old Stanton's casting as Hermione has already drawn criticism from certain awful corners of the fandom, echoing the backlash that occurred when Black actress Noma Dumezweni was cast as Hermione in the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

At that time, Rowling defended the casting by tweeting: "White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione."

Many Harry Potter fans are also upset about the casting of Paapa Essiedu, a Black actor, for Severus Snape, a character traditionally portrayed as white. He was instantly met with an onslaught of racist abuse from some corners of the fandom when he was announced as Snape.

Fans are concerned about how Rowling's more conservative fans will treat a Black actor taking on a role formerly played by a white actor. The racism is already rampant online amongst some of her fan base in response to the casting announcement.

Meanwhile, some other fans are concerned that changing Snape's race might alter the subtext of his relationships with other characters, particularly the bullying he experienced from James Potter. In particular, they have questioned the racial implications of the scene where Potter hangs Snape upside down from a tree, comparing it to the historical act of lynching.

Image: Getty / Warner Bros. Pictures

J. K. Rowling, who has remained an executive producer on the HBO series despite her controversial comments about transgender people, has publicly expressed support for the casting decisions. When media speculation arose about whether she would "sack" Essiedu following his signing of a trans rights petition, Rowling made it clear she had no intention of removing him from the role, despite their apparent ideological differences on transgender issues.

HBO chief Casey Bloys has also addressed the controversy directly.

"I'm totally comfortable with it and I'm not worried about it. Look at the huge success of the Hogwarts video game last year. I'm not concerned about consumer response," he said.

To a lesser extent, there has been backlash over the casting of American actor John Lithgow as Dumbledore.

One social media user wrote: "John Lithgow is a great actor. Two problems, though. He is American and 79 years old. Considering how long streaming series take to make, he will be 93 when the series is done."

Ahh yes, there's that pesky time problem again.

Image: Getty / Warner Bros. Pictures

Harry Potter and the missing time-turner.

Straight up, some people just think this reboot is unnecessary. One being, ahem, the real-life son of the original Dumbledore, played by Richard Harris.

"I mean, why do it? I don't understand. The films were fantastic, leave them alone," Jared Harris told The Independent, confirming he wasn't interested in reprising his late father's role.

Then there are those who aren't against it, per se, but think it's wayyy too early. The final Harry Potter movie came out 14 years ago. I mean, millennials have barely had time to regret their 'Deathly Hallows' tattoos.

But perhaps the biggest concern is how long it will take to film the damn thing.

As Mark Mylod and Francesca Gardiner enthusiastically said at a Warner Bros. event: "We have 8 hours to tell the first book, so we can dig into the real depths and crevices and how the language of magic can evolve."

Hey, I'm all for more of my favourite HP moments being brought to screen, but I'm a tad worried about the implications of the long format. Without a time-turner, how the hell are they going to film and edit this complex magical world in a timely fashion??

For starters, the actors who play Harry, Ron and Hermione need to be age accurate for each season, otherwise the whole thing falls apart. Aside from breaking child labour laws, I struggle to see how they are going to turn each season around in time.

Just look at Stranger Things, where it's taken roughly nine years to make just five seasons and they've had to add time-jumps in to the plot line in order for the rapidly ageing cast to make sense. Harry Potter is a big undertaking, especially as the series plans to cover each book as an entire season.

But HBO's Chief Content Officer, Casey Bloys, insists we fans have nothing to worry about.

"It is something we're thinking about," Bloys said, as per TVLine.

"One of the ideas we talked about was shooting the first season and the second season very close to each other time-wise, because 11 to 13 is a big jump in kids' lives. You can get away with 13 to 15, something like that. So we're going to have to think about scheduling and shooting so that they don't grow too much between seasons. It is a consideration."

It's giving Trump's "I have concepts of a plan" line, but I'll choose to remain optimistic. Besides, I would still watch a show called Harry Potter and the Midlife Crisis.

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Harry Potter and the problematic author.

According to HBO, author J.K. Rowling is "very, very involved" in the series as an executive producer, to ensure a "faithful adaptation".

It makes sense, I mean, she did create the damn thing. But there is no denying that Rowling is a polarising figure.

The author's widely criticised comments about transgender individuals have caused a rift in the Harry Potter fandom. Half the fandom is trying to separate the art from the artist, while the other half is wondering if they should publicly burn their Hufflepuff scarves.

She's also been under fire for a seemingly shady tweet towards the original HP trio, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. On March 18, 2025, Rowling responded to a question about actors who ruin movies with "Three guesses," which many interpreted as a dig at the trio.

This controversy stems from ongoing tensions between Rowling and the actors, rooted in their disagreements over transgender rights. The three lead actors have publicly opposed Rowling's views on transgender issues, with each making statements supporting trans rights.

Image: Getty

It's important to note, they've never attacked Rowling. But for the way she's behaving online, you'd think they would have. Why would a new generation of actors want to align themselves with someone who treats people this way?

The golden trio aren't the only Harry Potter stars who have opposed Rowling's stance. David Tennant, who played Barty Crouch Jr in Goblet of Fire, was called out by Rowling in 2024 after he voiced support for the trans community.

Recently, at Planet ComicCon, when asked if he would appear in the Harry Potter reboot, Tennant replied: "I'm told there's an executive producer who doesn't love me on that show."

While not confirmed, it is widely presumed he is referring to Rowling.

Due to the author's anti-trans rhetoric, many fans have criticised anyone who chooses to partake in the reboot. If film industry professionals and actors like Tennant continue to distance themselves from the executive producer, it could lead to more delays or missed casting opportunities. Blimey.

Mischief not quite Managed.

So, with all of this in mind, is there still hope for the magical reboot?

Like Hermione, I never took to Divination, so I can't predict the future. But here's what I do know…

Production for the Harry Potter reboot begins this summer (our winter) at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, in Hertfordshire, UK, the same location where the original films were made. It's expected to premiere in 2026.

Whether this reboot will cast a successful spell or require a time-turner to undo, only time will tell. But one thing's for certain: I'll be watching it all unfold with the same fascination as Arthur Weasley examining a rubber duck.

Keen to unpack the current controversies surrounding the show? Listen to The Quicky.

Feature Image: Warner Bros.