‘Harry Potter’ Retrospective to Feature Cast — But No J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter stars and filmmaker Chris Columbus are reuniting for the previously announced 20^th anniversary retrospective on HBO Max. But there’s one notable omission from the list of participants: creator J.K. Rowling.

WarnerMedia on Tuesday announced that the special will feature the franchise’s central trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, who will be joined by Columbus and appearances by other alums including Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch and Ian Hart, among others.

Harry Potter 20^th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will stream Jan. 1 on HBO Max, with a debut on linear networks TBS and Cartoon Network in the spring ahead of the theatrical debut of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

“It has been an incredible journey since the debut of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone film, and witnessing how it has evolved into this remarkable interconnected universe has been magical to say the least,” said Tom Ascheim, president of Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics. “This retrospective is a tribute to everyone whose lives were touched by this cultural phenomenon—from the talented cast and crew who poured their heart and soul into this extraordinary film franchise to the passionate fans who continue to keep the Wizarding World spirit alive 20 years later.”

The release made no mention of Rowling when listing those participating in the retrospective. While Harry Potter remains a beloved franchise, Rowling sparked backlash from the trans community after saying that transgender individuals should be defined by their biological sex.

HBO Max is also making a Harry Potter quiz show in a bid to have some content tied to the Wizarding World on the platform. THR exclusively reported that HBO Max was in the early stages of readying a live-action scripted series based on the boy wizard and his friends. Sources at the time noted the WarnerMedia-backed streamer engaged in multiple conversations with potential writers exploring various ideas that would bring the beloved Harry Potter property to television. Sources say broad ideas have been discussed as part of the early-stage exploratory meetings. While it’s news that executives at HBO Max and Warners are engaged in meetings to find a writer and pitch for a Harry Potter TV series, no writers or talent are currently attached as the conversations are still in the extremely early stages and no deals have been made. Warners at the time denied that any Harry Potter series were in the works.

Expanding the world of Harry Potter remains a top priority for HBO Max and Warner Bros., which along with creator Rowling, controls rights to the property. Harry Potter is one of Warners’ most valuable pieces of IP.

The game show and retrospective are the first official TV offshoots of Rowling’s beloved Harry Potter franchise and come after WarnerMedia tapped Ascheim to oversee the Harry Potter franchise for the studio. Both the series and special are exec produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted TV and Warner Horizon. Robin Ashbrook and Yasmin Shackleton will exec produce the hourlong quiz show, while Casey Patterson (A West Wing Special, VAX Live) will oversee the retrospective. Sources say that while Rowling is not directly involved in either production, Warners collaborated with her team on the content.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first film in the franchise, debuted in November 2001 and became a global phenomenon. NBCUniversal in 2016 inked a rich seven-year rights deal with Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution that included U.S. broadcast, cable and streaming rights to the Wizarding World franchise. That deal, which ends in April 2025, included digital initiatives as well as theme park content and events. The pact also meant Warners execs had to make a side deal that allowed all of the Harry Potter features to briefly stream on HBO Max when the service launched last year. The films left HBO Max after three months and recently returned to NBCUniversal streamer Peacock.