Latest news with #HarryPotter-related
Daily Record
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Harry Potter cast member who stood by JK Rowling to be given 'role' in new TV series
One of the original cast members from the beloved Harry Potter films , who stood by JK Rowling amidst her gender-critical campaigning, is set to be rewarded with a significant role in the upcoming TV series adaptation. The child actor, who featured in all eight instalments of the popular children's saga about the young wizard, is poised to play a crucial role behind the scenes of the new TV series. Tom Felton, known for his portrayal of the villainous bleach-blond Draco Malfoy, has expressed interest in visiting the set and meeting the new actor set to step into the role that catapulted him to stardom. Warner Bros plans to utilise Felton to generate behind-the-scenes content for HBO, which could potentially form part of a documentary about the making of the series. The 37-year-old is also expected to be on hand to offer guidance to the young stars as he becomes involved in the new production. However, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who played Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley respectively in the original film franchise, are not anticipated to participate in the new TV series. The original trio distanced themselves from Rowling in 2020 following an essay she penned regarding women being identified by biological sex rather than gender identity, reports the Scottish Daily Express . Felton refrained from criticising Rowling throughout her campaign for women's rights, including her support for the Supreme Court ruling that trans women are not legally women. An insider has revealed Tom Felton's steadfast support for J. K. Rowling throughout various controversies might just see him involved in a new Harry Potter-related project. "Everyone knows that Tom has Jo's blessing. While others turned their backs on her, he treated her with dignity even if he disagreed with her. And now it seems he will be the one original cast member who will be involved with the new production." The source added that producers are aiming to differentiate the television series from the iconic films. "The producers want to keep the television series separate from the original movies. Tom has expressed an interest in visiting the set and meeting with the actor playing Draco, and Warner is keen to make it happen. There has even been talk of getting him involved in creating behind-the-scenes content for HBO which could form part of a documentary about the making of the TV show." When cornered about his thoughts on Rowling's controversial positions in 2022, Felton commented warmly on her legacy. "No one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations and walks of life." He continued praising Rowling's impact and his personal interactions with her. "I'm constantly reminded of her positive work in [the literary] field and as a person. I've only had a handful of meetings with her but she has always been lovely. So I'm very grateful for that." According to the Daily Mail, Rowling has not kept Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint informed about the latest television venture, seeing this move as a bid for "revenge" and an attempt to "banish the memory of the original stars who she believes have thrown her under the bus." An insider shared with the publication: "It's heartbreaking for the three of them. Their childhoods were devoted to creating Harry Potter and it held such a special place in all their lives. "But now as the world looks forward to seeing the stories on screen again, they are a mere afterthought, with no involvement in the new series. Instead they face the prospect of being completely replaced in the minds of future generations of Harry Potter fans." J. K. Rowling has committed to being "very involved" in the upcoming series to ensure it remains a "faithful adaptation" of her seven novels. They continued, noting that the author is "relishing the opportunity' to breathe new life into the books – and banish the memory of the original stars who she believes have thrown her under the bus" to reinvigorate the books – and erase the memory of the original actors who she feels have betrayed her. "Jo adores the magical world she created and can't wait to bring it to life again with young, fresh talent. This is her chance to move on from all the vitriol she has endured at the hands of those she made famous and start again with a new set of faces. In many ways, it is her ultimate revenge for their betrayal." Last month, Felton was invited by Warner Bros to inaugurate the new Harry Potter experience in Chicago, with all expenses covered, and he teased that he might be "sneaking into a background shot as an extra."
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Pedro Pascal blasts J.K. Rowling, backs 'Harry Potter' boycott
Hollywood star Pedro Pascal has launched a scathing attack on the author J.K. Rowling. The actor didn't hold back on thoughts about J.K. Rowling 's support of an anti-transgender ruling in the U.K. The 'Last of Us' star, 50, whose sister Lux Pascal, came out as transgender in 2021, recently shared a comment under an Instagram video criticizing Rowling, 59, who celebrated the U.K. Supreme Court's April 16 ruling, reports 'People' magazine. The ruling stated that transgender women should not be recognised as women under Britain's Equality Act. JK Rowling Hit By Another 'BETRAYAL'? Harry Potter Star Who 'Owes' Her Fame Calls Her 'BIGOTED' In the Instagram video, activist Tariq Ra'ouf explains Rowling 's role in the ruling, she financially backed the campaign group For Women Scotland, which brought the legal challenges to court, and called for a boycott of "Harry Potter-related" projects and experiences. Ra'ouf also called out Rowling's recent post celebrating the ruling with a cigar and drink in hand on X, "I love it when a plan comes together. #SupremeCourt #WomensRights". In response, Pascal wrote under the video, "Awful disgusting S*** is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior". As per 'People', the actor, who has long been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and has publicly supported his sister Lux's transition, doubled down on his support for the group by attending the U.K. premiere of Marvel's Thunderbolts* in London Tuesday, April 22 while wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the message "PROTECT THE DOLLS". The T-shirt is a part of a larger campaign by American designer Conner Ives. Ives, 28, designed the piece to call attention to the global anti-transgender sentiment that trans women are experiencing in several countries. "Dolls" is an affectionate term coined by the LGBTQ+ community to refer to transgender women. Pascal frequently shows public support for Lux's transition, and she has accompanied Pascal to several red carpet premieres. Lux is an actress and activist who graduated from The Juilliard School in New York City in 2023.
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Pedro Pascal brands JK Rowling a 'heinous loser' for her cigar-smoking celebration of the Supreme Court trans ruling - as he joins calls for a Harry Potter boycott
Pedro Pascal has branded JK Rowling a 'heinous loser' after she celebrated the Supreme Court 's landmark ruling that trans women are not legally women. The actor, whose sister Lux recently came out as a transgender woman, shared the scathing remark under an Instagram post from activist Tariq Ra'ouf that was calling for a boycott of any future Harry Potter projects. It came after Pedro showed his support for the transgender community by proudly wearing a T-shirt boasting the slogan Protect The Dolls, while he attended the premiere of Thunderbolts in London on Tuesday. Justices in London ruled last week that in the 2010 Equality Act, the definition of the term 'women' relates only to biological women. Multi-millionaire author Rowling, who reportedly helped fund the women's rights campaign group which brought the Supreme Court case, shared a photo online from on board her $150 million superyacht puffing a cigar in celebration. In Tariq's video, he called for his viewers to ensure that 'every single thing that's Harry Potter-related fails,' before branding Rowling's celebration 'awful and disgusting.' He said: 'It has become our mission as the general public to make sure that every single thing that's Harry Potter related that awful disgusting s**t, that has consequences.' As well as liking the video, Pedro also shared a defiant comment, writing: 'Awful disgusting S**T is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.' It's not the first time Pedro has shown his support for the transgender community after earlier this year he posted the quote: 'a world without trans people has never existed and never will' on Instagram. He added in his caption: 'I can't think of anything more vile and small and pathetic than terrorising the smallest, most vulnerable community of people who want nothing from you, except the right to exist.' Pedro's sister Lux is also transgender, 32, after coming out and transitioning back in 2021. The actor has previously admitted he's fiercely protective of his sister, and he's won praise from fans for his LGBTQ advocacy. However, he admits that Lux is a 'powerful' personality and doesn't need to rely on him for supporting, saying: 'I need her more than she needs me.' He told Esquire: 'I wouldn't want to speak on her behalf but she is and has always been one of the most powerful people and personalities I've ever known. My protective side is lethal, but I need her more than she needs me.' Last Wednesday, the UK's Supreme Court ruled that the definition of a woman is based on biological sex, meaning transgender women are not considered to be women in the eyes of the law. The landmark ruling ruling means trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) could potentially be excluded from single-sex spaces if 'proportionate'. The ruling has caused much controversy among various groups, with transgender activists left furious. Rowling's views, which have resurged again after last week's Supreme Court gender ruling, have prompted many of the stars who acquired fame and fortune through the Harry Potter franchise to either support or condemn her. Leading actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have all famously distanced themselves from Rowling and spoke out in support of the transgender community and gender ideology amid a storm of backlash against the author in 2020. Hitting back at accusations he was ungrateful for his success, Radcliffe insisted he doesn't owe her 'the things he truly believes', while Watson said transgender people deserved to 'live their lives without being constantly questioned, with Grint also echoing her sentiments. But other stars have expressed their horror over Rowling's treatment, with Robbie Coltrane insisting nothing she said was 'offensive' in 2020, while Ralph Fiennes said he couldn't understand the 'vitriol' directed at her in 2021, and in 2022, Helena Bonham Carter argued Rowling had been 'hounded' and was entitled to her opinion. Judges ruled that trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be excluded from single-sex spaces if 'proportionate'. It marks the culmination of a long-running legal battle between the Scottish government and women's group For Women Scotland over the definition of a 'woman' in Scottish law. The case centred on whether somebody with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) recognising their gender as female should be protected from discrimination as a woman under the Equality Act. The Scottish government had argued that such people were entitled to sex-based protections, meaning a transgender person with a GRC certificate identifying them as female would count towards women's quota. But campaign group For Women Scotland claimed they only applied to people born female. The Supreme Court has now ruled that the words 'sex', 'man' and 'woman' in the Equality Act must mean 'biological sex', rejecting any alternative interpretations as 'incoherence and impracticable'. Rowling reacted last Wednesday by posting on X: 'It took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court and, in winning, they've protected the rights of women and girls across the UK. @ForWomenScot, I'm so proud to know you.' She later added: 'Trans people have lost zero rights today, although I don't doubt some (not all) will be furious that the Supreme Court upheld women's sex-based rights.' In their 88-page ruling, the justices said: 'The definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010 makes clear that the concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man.' They stated: 'A person with a Gender Recognition Certificate in the female gender does not come within the definition of a 'woman' under the Equality Act 2010 and the statutory guidance issued by the Scottish ministers is incorrect.' Supporters of Rowling's stance have used social media to accuse the young Harry Potter stars - who played the central trio of pupils in the movie franchise - of 'disloyalty'. Yet others have leapt to their defence, praising their previous comments on gender rights and saying they did not owe her anything more. One poster wrote: 'Who had ever heard of Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, or Daniel Radcliffe before JK Rowling made them millionaires?' But another said: 'Are actors contractually obliged to support the personal political beliefs of authors that wrote something a film they're in is based on?' Rowling's evident disagreement with Radcliffe had begun after she called out an article that used the phrase 'people who menstruate' instead of women, writing: 'I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?' Shortly afterwards, Radcliffe penned an article for an LGBT+ suicide prevention charity in which he insisted that 'transgender women are women'. He told The Atlantic last April that he had not spoken to Rowling for years, which upset him, but would not heed her call suggesting he should apologise to detransitioners harmed by puberty blockers. Radcliffe has spoken out in the past to say adults are 'condescending' for expressing misgivings over gender transitioning in children. His comments seemed a barbed reference to Rowling's tweets from June 2020 in which she ridiculed an article's description of women as 'people who menstruate'. In response at the time, Radcliffe hit out at the author, saying: 'To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you'. In March the following year, he explained his decision to voice his opposition to Rowling's comments saying that while he has 'huge respect' for the author, he can still disagree with her views. Last year's official report by Dr Hilary Cass made a series of recommendations to overhaul NHS trans services to improve the care that children receive. She ruled there was a 'lack of high-quality research' on the effects of giving children puberty blockers and hormones, and recommended that NHS England establish its own research programme. The report also called for the creation a separate service for those wanting to 'de-transition', where a gender transition is stopped or reversed. Rowling was criticised in 2018 after she liked a tweet describing trans women as 'men in dresses' - with her spokesperson at the time describing the 'like' as a 'mistake', calling it a 'clumsy middle-aged moment'. But the author has since embarked on a campaign seeking to protect what she describes as women's rights, fuelled by her own experiences of domestic abuse. That campaign has seen her oppose legislation in Scotland that sought to make it easier for trans people to change their legal gender, and she has provided financial support to those fighting court cases challenging the legal status of trans people. In a lengthy 3,600-word statement on her website published in 2020, she said her stance on trans rights was drawn from her experiences of abuse and sexual assault. She wrote: 'When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman... then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth.'
