J.K. Rowling took to Twitter on Friday to mock “activists” she says are plotting to boycott the upcoming “Harry Potter” television series, which is reportedly slated to premiere in 2025 on HBO Max.
The best-selling author dismissed their apparent efforts as “yet another boycott,” seemingly implying she is not taking them seriously. Rowling will be an executive producer on the upcoming show, along with Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts, Deadline reported.
“Dreadful news, which I feel duty bound to share. Activists in my mentions are trying to organise yet another boycott of my work, this time of the Harry Potter TV show,” Rowling tweeted. “As forewarned is forearmed, I’ve taken the precaution of laying in a large stock of champagne.” (RELATED: Online Troll Forced To Apologize To JK Rowling After Author Threatens Legal Action)
Dreadful news, which I feel duty bound to share. Activists in my mentions are trying to organise yet another boycott of my work, this time of the Harry Potter TV show. As forewarned is forearmed, I’ve taken the precaution of laying in a large stock of champagne.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 21, 2023
Rowling has been dealt a slew of backlash from pro-transgender activists in recent years due to her views on the transgender movement. The “Harry Potter” author has been outspoken on her belief that trans individuals should not be allowed in spaces designated for biological women.
In June 2020, Rowling mocked the publication Devex for using the phrase “people who menstruate” in lieu of the word “women.” Rowling also criticized a gender identification bill in March 2022 that would make it easier for transgender individuals in Scotland to legally change their gender identity, arguing the legislation’s passage would “harm the most vulnerable women in society: those seeking help after male violence/rape and incarcerated women.”
Some online gamers reportedly attempted to organize a boycott of the “Hogwarts Legacy” video game in order to make a statement against the author’s transgender-critical views. The game ended up selling 12 million copies and selling 256% higher than initially expected at its launch, Forbes reported in mid-April, citing an update from the senior global brand manager at Warner Bros, the publisher behind the video game.