Something interesting is happening around HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, and it’s not just the usual pre-release buzz. The conversation has turned into a cultural tug-of-war, with both sides of the political aisle taking offense, and much of the ink is being devoted to the controversy it’s generating.
Last week, the first teaser trailer dropped, giving us our first real look at the new series, and I’m just going to say it: it looks good. I’m kind of excited.
Of course, there are issues, and I’ll get to that.
For years, one of the most common complaints about the movies was how much they left out. That’s not a knock on the films—they had time constraints—but anyone who actually read the books knows entire layers of story and character development never made it onscreen, and it would have been impossible to fit them in. I read the series as an adult about 15 years ago, starting with one book, then watching the film version afterward, repeating the cycle until I finished. The differences were impossible to ignore, but they made sense.
This new series, which debuts in December, aims to fix that. A season-per-book format should finally give the story room to breathe. That’s a big deal for fans who have been waiting decades to see certain scenes done right.
Of course, this being 2026, we can’t just have a show. We have to have a controversy.
On the left, activists are trying to organize a boycott because of J.K. Rowling’s views on transgender issues. This has been building for years, and the rhetoric hasn’t softened. One outlet called The Verge complained, “For years, Rowling has trafficked in garden variety transphobia under the guise of being a champion for cisgender women’s rights.” Blah-blah-blah.
Here’s the problem: most people don’t care. They don’t buy into transgender ideology and simply don’t care. That’s why the books still sell, the game Hogwarts Legacy made a billion dollars, and the Harry Potter section at the Universal Studios theme park is still busy and recently expanded.
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Meanwhile, conservatives have their own complaints. The decision to race-swap Severus Snape has drawn particular criticism, and for good reason. If you know Snape’s backstory and the dynamics that shaped his character, changing his race adds an undeniable racial subtext to the bullying he endured as a child at the hands of Harry Potter’s father. And, not to mention that Snape’s description in the novels makes it clear he is a white character.
I know, don’t get me started on Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White.
Anyway, there’s also the argument that the series itself is unnecessary. The eight-film saga, while imperfect, told the story well enough for many viewers. That’s a fair point. Not every beloved franchise needs a reboot or expansion. Lord knows we have too many as it is.
But “unnecessary” doesn’t mean unwanted.
There’s a real appetite for a more complete adaptation, especially one that restores the quieter, character-driven moments the films had to cut. The series format offers that opportunity, and HBO would be foolish not to take advantage of it, especially when the franchise is still making money.
So, yes, I’m going to watch.
If anything, the ongoing meltdown from the anti-Rowling crowd makes the decision even easier.
