Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling is clearing up the air about her absence from the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special. Debuting on HBO Max at the start of the year, the special only featured Rowling briefly in archival footage, as she did not join Daniel Radcliffe and other Harry Potter alumni for the occasion. At the time, there had been reports and speculation that she'd been blocked from attending by Warner Bros. due to her controversial opinions about the transgender community.
In a new interview with Graham Norton, Rowling was asked directly about the reunion special. Rowling says that she had in fact been invited to attend but that she made the choice not to go. According to Rowling, the reason why she declined the invitation was because the focus of the special was on the feature films rather than the novels.
"I wasn't (excluded), actually. I was asked to be on that. And, I decided I didn't want to do it. I thought it was about the films more than the books, you know? Quite rightly. I mean, that was what the anniversary was about. So, yeah. No one said don't come. I was asked to do it, and I decided not to."
Norton also touched on the relationship Rowling has with the cast members of the Harry Potter franchise, as some have publicly condemned controversial remarks made by Rowling in the past. Rowling does not get into the specifics of which cast members she still does or does not speak much with, but says she does keep in contact with some of them. She also suggests that this has more to do with how well she knows these people personally rather than the controversy. Here's what Rowling said when asked if she still had a dialogue with any Harry Potter actors.
"Yes, I do. Some more than others, but that was always the case. Some I knew better than others."
Warner Bros. Has Stood By J.K. Rowling
While there had been speculation that Warner Bros. had been looking to distance themselves from J.K. Rowling, the company has since publicly supported the Harry Potter author. In June, there had been rumors that emerged about a rift between the studio and Rowling. Warner Bros. soon after released an official statement, which you can read below, making their stance on where they stand with Rowling much more clear.
“Warner Bros. has enjoyed a creative, productive and fulfilling partnership with J.K. Rowling for the past 20 years. She is one of the world’s most accomplished storytellers, and we are proud to be the studio to bring her vision, characters and stories to life now — and for decades to come. On Monday, a statement was issued by a third-party media agency that appeared contrary to this view. The statement was wholly wrong, and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London regrets it happened as part of a media event that day.”