Harry Potter TV series to involve J.K. Rowling

The boy who lived is coming to the small screen, with HBO Max announcing a Harry Potter TV series in production.

But HBO Max's collaboration with the book's author and trans-exclusionary radical feminist J.K. Rowling is causing controversy, after she was announced as executive producer.

What will the TV series be about?

HBO Max said the series will be "a faithful adaptation" of the books, but with an entirely new cast.

The streaming service plans to release ten seasons of the show, raising questions around how the seven books will be divided.

Storylines from the Harry Potter spin-off series, Fantastical Beasts, will not be included, HBO Max said.

Ms Rowling has creative control over the use of her books and will be executive producer alongside her literary agent Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts.

"Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me," Ms Rowling said in a statement.

"I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series," she said.

HBO Max said their team is building the show, set for release in 2025-2026, with "the full care and craft of this franchise."

Fans of the books and movies, who disagree with Ms Rowling's stance on gender, are disappointed she's connected to the new series.

Ms Rowling is a self-identified trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF), the belief that trans women aren't women and that biological sex is the only factor that determines a person's gender.

Many took to Twitter to express their frustration with the author and HBO Max for developing the lucrative series.

The controversy over her involvement has not slowed production.

Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said he has met with Ms Rowling "multiple times" and "has spoken up in support of the author".

Ms Rowling sparked controversy after a 2020 tweet questioned the phrase "people who menstruate" to describe those assigned female at birth.

She continues to double-down on the view that trans women are not women, blocking author Stephen King on twitter after he showed support for the opposing cause.

She's also written two books since the controversy, with storylines that portray social justice campaigners and transgender people as villains.

Ms Rowling has compared trans rights campaigners to wizarding world bad guys, the death eaters.

"I am fighting what I see as a powerful, insidious, misogynistic movement that has gained huge purchase in very influential areas of society," she said in March 2023.

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Harry Potter himself, actor Daniel Radcliffe, said while Ms Rowling is "unquestionably responsible" for the course his life has taken, he does not agree with her views on trans rights.

"It's clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm," Daniel Radcliffe said in a 2020 statement.

Along with Mr Radcliffe, fellow Harry Potter child-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint expressed their support for the trans community.

The actress who played Ginny Weasley in the film series, Bonny Wright, echoed the sentiment.

Eddie Redmayne, the actor playing the lead role in Fantastical Beasts, also condemned Ms Rowling's comments in 2020 interview with Variety.

"As someone who has worked with both J.K. Rowling and members of the trans community, I wanted to make it absolutely clear where I stand," Mr Redmayne said.

"I disagree with Jo's comments," he said.

Robbie Coltrane, the actor who played Hagrid, defended Ms Rowling's position while on a radio show in 2020.

The actor, who didn't want to "get involved" for fear of hateful comments coming his way, said supporters of transgender rights "wouldn't have won the war".