The Harry Potter cast is coming back together to celebrate the saga’s 20th anniversary in a special event for HBO Max, but there’s one notable name left out of the guest list: Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. The fantasy genre has seen many worlds aimed at a young audience, but few have had the impact and success that the Wizarding World has, and it all began in 1997 with the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The story of Harry Potter ended up covering seven novels through which readers saw the main characters grow alongside them, earning a special place in the hearts of many around the world.
The success of the Harry Potter book series was such that it didn’t take long for Hollywood to take notice and adapt the Wizarding World to the big screen. The Harry Potter saga was released between 2001 and 2011 (with the final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, divided into two movies) and it expanded the books’ fanbase, further becoming a worldwide phenomenon. The Harry Potter movies boosted the careers of its young cast and set the example for other novels that made the jump to the big screen, and while the saga came to an end ten years ago, the Wizarding World is still kept alive thanks to its many fans all over the world.
The entertainment industry is currently going through a nostalgia trend with reboots, remakes, and reunion specials, many of these released exclusively on streaming platforms, and the Harry Potter universe is about to join this trend. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the movie saga, the cast of Harry Potter will reunite in a special event, appropriately titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, to be streamed on HBO Max. The golden trio – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson – is confirmed to appear in the reunion along with many others, but the creator of the Wizarding World, J.K. Rowling, isn't part of the list of guests, and while there’s no official word on why, there are a couple of reasons why she might be staying away from this specific event.
J.K. Rowling is constantly working on new projects, so it’s possible that the reason she’s skipping the Harry Potter reunion is that she’s busy. However, there might be other, more serious reasons why the creator of the Wizarding World isn’t on the list of guests for the Harry Potter reunion, and they are all about those controversial comments she has made. Rowling has shared anti-trans comments on social media since 2018, leading to a lot of backlash and fans voicing their dislike towards her, and given the sensitivity and complexity of this problem, it wouldn’t be surprising if Warner and HBO Max are actively avoiding more backlash and the risk of having their Harry Potter reunion overshadowed by the controversy around Rowling by doing something as simple as not inviting her.
Fans of Harry Potter might not even notice her absence with all the familiar faces they are about to see, among those Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), and more. Unless Warner is keeping a brief appearance from Rowling a secret, the Harry Potter creator is not expected to appear in any new content for the reunion (this as reported by People), and given everything that has happened, it’s understandable that she won’t show up.