A Harry Potter story has taken the internet by storm this week.
As it’s been revealed that JK Rowling insisted on a 100% British cast for her movies.
However, two of the film’s stars managed to break these rules …
Now, of course, we all know J.K Rowling is the woman behind the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
What started out as a mere musing while stuck on a delayed train in London, 1990, led to a young Joanne Rowling conjuring up the magical story of Harry Potter.
It’s become a huge success.
Thirty years since it’s creation, over 500 million copies of the book franchise have been sold worldwide in eighty different languages.
Making it one of the best-selling book series of all time.
Rowling famously struggled with marriage and money issues in the 4 years she spent working on the first Harry Potter book. In 1994, she found herself as a newly-divorced single mom living out of her sister’s spare room in the Scottish city of Edinburgh.
And, unbelievably, her idea was turned down by several different publishers…
Who reportedly found the idea to be “too long-winded for children.”
Even her literary agent allegedly warned her, “You do realize, you will never make a fortune out of writing children’s books?”
But, regardless of her personal struggles, she continued working on her vision, frequently taking to small coffee shops across Edinburgh to complete her debut book.
And out it came …
500 copies of the debut Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone finally hit the shelves in bookstores across the United Kingdom.
The book was an instant success.
The adventures of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger were quick to capture a vast and loyal fanbase, with children and adults alike being instantly captivated by the novel.
And, in the years following from The Philosopher’s Stone…
Rowling went on to release 6 more books that detailed Harry’s fight against the notorious Lord Voldemort, which only made her unique take on the fantasy world of magic even more known and loved across the world.
We became Harry Potter obsessed.
So, of course, it didn’t take long for the movie adaptations to come along.
The final chapter of the Harry Potter franchise, The Deathly Hallows, was released back in 2007…
And fans were finally able to discover the fate of Harry Potter and the rest of the wizarding community.
Something which Rowling has claimed she knew from the very beginning.
Including the collaboration on the 2-part play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the hugely successful blockbuster, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
But in recent years, many have deemed the author to be extremely problematic.
Rowling cause huge controversy on Twitter after she penned what many perceived as a transphobic commentary.
Even former Harry Potter actors such as Rupert Grint chimed in and stood against what Rowling had said…
Backing both Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, Grint said he fully supports the Trans community.
Writing: “Trans women are women. Trans men are men.”
Earlier this year the Harry Potter reunion called Return to Hogwarts, saw Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and a host of other cast members come together on the 20th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
However, there was one particular person missing from the show…
But the star has revealed the real reason…
“I was asked to be on that and I decided I didn’t want to do it. It was about the films more than the books,” she said.
“Quite rightly, that was what the anniversary was about. I was asked to do it and I decided not to,” Rowling claimed.
Since then, Rowling has received a lot of heat from her no longer fans on Twitter.
But one response revealed that she is not bothered about losing fans…
One user tweeted: “How do you sleep at night knowing you’ve lost a whole audience from buying your books?”
Rowling responded to the tweet, and said, “I read my most recent royalty cheques and find the pain goes away pretty quickly.”
Rowling’s response has caused quite the outrage online with one user calling her “JK SAVAGE.”
Many were quick to support Rowling in the comments, stating the impact the Harry Potter series had on them, their children, or their students as young readers.
“I was a school governor in the mid 2000’s getting boys to read was a MASSIVE pedagogical issue to which there was no solution and then along came the wonderful @jk_rowling,” one user tweeted.
However, there were a few who couldn’t help but look past the transphobic comment she previously made.
“You singled out and vilified an extremely vulnerable minority group,” journalist Walker Bragman tweeted in response to the comment. “I can’t help but think about kids who are struggling with their identity and just want acceptance. You, with your massive platform, have made it harder for them. And that sucks.”
However, actress Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna Lovegood, has stood up for Rowling despite previously calling her out.
As per The Telegraph, Lynch said: “I was very naive when I was dragged into that conversation. I didn’t even know there were two sides. I had a view of, like, good and bad.
“I do have compassion for both sides of the argument. I know what it was like to be a teenager who hated my body so much I wanted to crawl out of my skin, so I have great compassion for trans people and I don’t want to add to their pain.”
She continued: “I do also think it’s important that JK Rowling has been amplifying the voices of detransitioners. I had this impulse to go, ‘Let’s all just stop talking about it’, and I think probably I’m a bit braver now about having uncomfortable conversations…
“I just felt that her character has always been to advocate for the most vulnerable members of society. The problem is that there’s a disagreement over who’s the most vulnerable. I do wish people would just give her more grace and listen to her.”
Soon after, exciting news has hit the Harry Potter fandom.
It looks as though there’s a brand-new TV show in the works on HBO!
However, news that Rowling is involved as a producer has left the fandom torn.
“DO NOT SUPPORT THIS SHOW,” one fan wrote.
Another added: “It’s so cool that a whole new generation of kids will be able to experience learning about hateful and baseless transphobia.”
And now, Rowling has issued a sarcastic response to her haters…
She tweeted: “Dreadful news, which I feel duty bound to share. Activists in my mentions are trying to organise yet another boycott of my work, this time of the Harry Potter TV show.
“As forewarned is forearmed, I’ve taken the precaution of laying in a large stock of champagne.”
In response to her tweet one wrote: “You are our heroine in this conflict. JK’s Army perhaps? We will always be your online Defenders.”
While another commented: “The successful damage they’ve wrought on your career has been horrendous. Happy to chip in if you set up a gofundme.”
But this week, it’s another Harry Potter story in the headlines.
As director Chris Columbus has confirmed Rowling initially insisted on a 100% British cast.
This rule was almost broken for Robin Williams, who wanted to play Hagrid.
Of course, we all know that role eventually went to Robbie Coltrane.
But there were two American actors actually cast in the Harry Potter movies.
One was Chris Columbus’ own daughter Eleanor.
She appeared as Susan Bones, a girl who is sorted into Hufflepuff by the Sorting Hat in the first movie.
Strangely enough, the other is Verne Troyer, who provided the physical acting for Gringotts Bank goblin Griphook!
However, Warwick Davis provided the voice for Griphook and later played the role, explaining why we missed out on Verne’s signature voice.
Did you know this strange Harry Potter fact?