Several celebrities are ‘refusing to touch’ the new harry potter tv reboot.
The upcoming series, set for a 2027 release, has generated significant buzz online, but not all of it is positive.
Despite Warner Bros. announcing a fresh cast, including john lithgow as albus dumbledore , Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, several high-profile actors have already made it clear they won’t be involved.
The decision to avoid the reboot stems primarily from its association with j.k rowling , whose controversial remarks about transgender issues have sparked ongoing backlash.
Following a recentU.K.Supreme Court ruling allowing for transgender women to be excluded from the legal definition of ‘woman’ under the Equality Act, the cultural debate has reignited.
Rowling publicly celebrated the ruling, further alienating her from critics and several former Harry Potter stars.
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe, the original film series’ Harry Potter, was one of the first to separate himself from the reboot.
The actor has long expressed support for the transgender community and publicly disagreed with rowling view.
Responding to the author’s accusation that he was ‘cosying up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights,’ Radcliffe said: It makes me really sad, ultimately,” reflecting on the contrast between the author he once admired and the controversy that surrounds her today.
When asked about returning for the new series, the actor told e1 news: “I don’t think so; I think they very wisely want to [get] a clean break.”
Nicola Coughlan
Nicola Coughlan, best known for her roles in Derry Girls and Bridgerton, has also spoken out against the reboot.
Following Rowling’s response to the court ruling, Coughlan posted on INSTGRAM: “Keep your new Harry Potter, lads. Wouldn’t touch it with a 10ft pole.”
In addition, she raised over £100,000 for the trans charity Not A Phase, expressing outrage at the ruling and its implications for trans rights.
Bowen Yang
Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang is another actor who has distanced himself from the reboot.
In a blunt social media post following the ruling, he said: “A big f*** you to J.K. Rowling.”
Yang, who is openly gay, has previously spoken about the harm he endured from conversion therapy and has remained a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Jared Harris
Even Jared Harris, son of the late Richard Harris (the original Dumbledore), has declined any involvement.
When asked if he would take on his father’s iconic role, Harris simply said: “No, thank you.”
In a conversation with the independent, he questioned the necessity of the reboot: “The films were fantastic – leave them alone.”
