Movies of War

Mar 20, 2026 5:06am PT John Lithgow Considered Quitting HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series Over J.K. Rowling Backlash: It Will Come Up in ‘Every Interview’ for the ‘Rest of My Life’ By Alex Ritman Plus Icon Alex Ritman @alexritman Latest Cannes’ Marché du Film to Host Creator Economy Summit 18 hours ago Ella Purnell Joins Nicholas Galitzine in Brian Welsh’s Thriller ‘The Return of Stanley Atwell’ From ‘Hamnet’ Producer Hera Pictures and Steven Soderbergh (EXCLUSIVE) 22 hours ago Unifrance Managing Director Daniela Elstner Files Police Complaint Against Singer and Actor Patrick Bruel for Attempted Rape and Sexual Assault 1 day ago See All Getty Images HBO Max’s upcoming “Harry Potter” TV reboot could have lost its Albus Dumbledore. John Lithgow, who plays the famed Hogwarts headmaster in the new series, reportedly thought about quitting the show due to the backlash he received after his casting was announced over J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans comments. In a new interview with The New York Times, Lithgow said that while he didn’t agree with Rowling’s views on transgender issues, he thought the “Harry Potter” books themselves were “clearly on the side of the angels, against intolerance and bigotry.” Related Stories ‘Voice of Hind Rajab’ Actor Can't Attend Oscars Due to Trump’s Palestine Travel Ban: ‘You Can Block a Passport. You Cannot Block a Voice’ Doja Cat Defends Chappell Roan for Being 'Uncomfortable, Comfortably' in Dealing With Paparazzi: 'Let Her Have an Attitude' But the Times noted that having been “stung” by the sharp online reaction, Lithgow “considered quitting the series but decided not to.” That said, Lithgow acknowledged the subject of Rowling would come up “in every interview I will ever do for the rest of my life.” Popular on Variety In the recent film “Jimpa,” Lithgow plays the grandfather to a trans teenager played by Aud Mason-Hyde, who is trans. In an interview with Out magazine, Mason-Hyde called Lithgow “such a beautiful human to make work wit,” but added that they considered Lithgow’s decision to join “Harry Potter” “disconcerting,” adding that “there’s an element of this that feels vaguely hurtful.” Lithgow isn’t the only new arrival into the Wizarding World to distance themselves from the beliefs of its controversial creator. Paapa Essiedu, who is playing Severus Snape in the series, was one of hundreds of industry names to sign an open letter calling for industry action on trans rights and demanding that institutions such as BAFTA, BBC, BFI and Channel 4 commit to protecting and including trans people. The letter came just weeks after the hugely contentious U.K. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting trans women from being legally recognized as women, a decision that was celebrated on social media by Rowling. Jump to Comments Netflix’s ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Series Adds Noomi Rapace, Ramzy Bedia, Sean Harris, Corrado Invernizzi to Cast ‘Running Point’ Sets Season 2 Release Date, Kate Hudson Returns as Basketball Franchise Boss in First Look Photos Vietnamese Hit ‘Fish, Fists and Ambergris’ Gets Global Theatrical Rollout, Netflix Southeast Asia Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) Netflix Acquires AI Filmmaking Start-Up Founded by Ben Affleck, Who Will Serve as Adviser to Streamer Warner Bros. Discovery Declares New Paramount Bid a ‘Superior Proposal’; Netflix Has Four Business Days to Match Netflix Thriller ‘Firebreak’: Director David Victori Unpacks the Craft Behind the Breakout Hit JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...