The new Harry Potter series has not yet premiered on HBO Max, but it is already generating a lot of buzz. In recent days, two directors, Ally Pankiw and Kate Herron, revealed on social media that they declined HBO’s invitation to work on the new television adaptation of the famous literary saga.
Harry Potter, Ally Pankiw and Kate Herron reveal the reason they refused to work on the HBO series
Speaking first to go public and revealing the reason behind her blunt “no” was Ally Pankiw, director of Black Mirror and The Great. Pankiw, in recent days, shared on Instagram a screenshot of a conversation with her agent who asked her—despite already knowing the answer—whether she would be interested in the series based on the novels by J.K. Rowling.
Under her post, another director commented as well, Kate Herron, known for films such as Loki from Marvel Studios and Netflix’s Sex Education, who recounted having had a similar experience: “Yes, thank you, exactly! Respect and affection for you, Ally. They asked me twice and I had to explain that my answer will never change; it will always be no“.
The reason? The two directors revealed they rejected the project due to Rowling’s opinions and positions on transgender people’s rights. Here is Pankiw’s reply to her agent: “Absolutely not! It’s really that easy to say no to funding transphobia! And this prize was for directing, not for acting… obviously lol“.
Comments