What would happen if you took the Harry Potter universe and put it through the twisted mind of an American cultural Marxist? Sadly, we’re about to find out.
Whether you are a fan or not, it is impossible to deny that the Harry Potter franchise is one of the most successful in the history of modern literature – or even the history of literature in general. The 7-book series alone – which has since been translated into over 80 languages – has sold over 500 million copies, making it the best-selling book series of all time. It has also spawned numerous other adaptations set in the same universe across a multitude of different media formats, from the hugely successful series of eight films to numerous spin-off films, video games, audiobooks and stage productions. Now, some producers are making plans to create an adaptation that will take the form of a web series — albeit with some creative changes.
Rowling under attack from woke activists
It has likely not escaped many of you reading this that the franchise creator, British author J.K. Rowling, has come under intense scrutiny from the LGBT community and many radical feminists for her stance on transgenderism. On the 6th June 2020, Rowling publicly criticised the term “people who menstruate” by posting the following statement on Twitter: “If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.”
Since the publication of this tweet, Rowling has been on the receiving end of countless death threats and doxing attempts, with some transgender activists even going so far as to travel to her home and expose her address to the internet. Even the stars of the Harry Potter film series itself have come out against Rowling, citing their intentions to distance themselves from the creator of the very franchise, which made these actors and actresses famous and wealthy in the first place. Such ingratitude just goes to show that no matter the scale of the grand opportunities and rewards that have been bestowed upon these people thanks to the creator of the franchise, if their personal beliefs do not align with one’s own views, then even the creator herself must be shunned.
One woman, in particular, has taken an especially dramatic stance against J.K. Rowling by drawing up plans for a “woke reboot” of the franchise that will take the form of a web series. American Megan McKelli, who is a self-described TikTok video producer and filmmaker, has stated,
“We aim to reflect the diversity of the fanbase in its beloved characters, introducing people of colour, queer storylines and characters of differing faiths.”
Harry’s godfather is now a black woman?
According to the casting notes, the producers are allegedly looking for auditions from actors of “Asian, black, African descent, ethnically ambiguous, multiracial, indigenous peoples, Latino, Hispanic, Middle-Eastern, South Asian, Indian, Southeast Asian or Pacific Islander” backgrounds to portray Harry Potter’s father, James. Like the rest of the Potter family, he is depicted as white in the original source material.
Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black, is also set to be played by a non-White actor, but the role is also open to people of “all genders”, meaning that Harry’s godFATHER will be a role open to women as well. The same goes for the part of Remus Lupin, one of Harry’s teachers at the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.
As for Peter Pettigrew – an antagonist of the series – and Harry’s mother, Lily, the producers are allegedly looking for a “gender-non-conforming, non-binary, trans male and female, respectively”. It should go without saying, but Pettigrew is a biological male and Lily a biological woman in the source material. Harry himself is not planned to feature in the web series.
Rowling might not be able to stop it
The planned web series – which already has a script written up for it and which is due to be filmed in the Pacific Northwest of the United States throughout June and July of this year – is very likely to be met with a legal challenge from J.K. Rowling herself, who owns the rights to the characters in Harry Potter and has not permitted the American producers to create such an adaptation of her work.
However, even if the project is officially “shut down” by any subsequent legal challenges and court rulings, the project could still be given the go-ahead as an unofficial, independent fan film. The British Daily Mail newspaper contacted J.K. Rowling for her thoughts on the matter, but the author declined to comment.
Whatever one may think of J.K. Rowling and her personal social and political beliefs, the campaign of harassment against her by the LGBT community and members of the radical feminist movement is entirely and utterly deplorable. Nobody should be made to endure such hardships just because they made a statement which, for all intents and purposes, was not particularly inflammatory at all.
With this new upcoming woke reboot project, Harry Potter is yet another popular franchise falling prey to the woke movement, joining other unfortunate franchises such as Doctor Who, Marvel and DC Comics, among many others.
