John Lithgow Nearly Quit HBO's Harry Potter Reboot Over Rowling Backlash

John Lithgow, cast as Albus Dumbledore in HBO Max's new Harry Potter series, considered leaving due to backlash over J.K. Rowling's anti-trans comments. His public disagreement with Rowling places the series amidst ongoing controversy, affecting its reception even before release. Industry and audience reactions will be critical as the show progresses, with Lithgow acknowledging the issue will come up repeatedly in interviews.