From the documentary Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts was released, fans noted that the author of the book, JK RowlingHe was not at the meeting. Rather, she appeared in stock footage from Warner Bros. But after months of mystery over the author’s absence, it was revealed that Rowling turned down her invitation to appear in the special.
In an interview with Graham Norton’s radio show, Rowling revealed that her absence was not due to the controversy surrounding her. Actually, it was her choice not to appear in the 20th anniversary special. The reason why she turned down her invitation to appear in the special is that the documentary was more about the movies than the book series.
“They asked me to be on it. I decided I didn’t want to do it. I thought it was more about the movies than the books, rightfully so. Nobody said: ‘Don’t do it’. They asked me to do it and I decided not to do it.”
In late 2021, it was revealed that Rowling would not be appearing in the 20th anniversary special. However, fans speculated that it was due to the controversy due to her anti-trans views. Additionally, both Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have given up on the author for similar reasons. According to Entertainment Weekly, Rowling’s team determined that “stock footage” from the author’s comments would be more “suitable” for the special.
After the release of Harry PotterRowling freed fantastic beasts, a five-part prequel spin-off series based on the Harry Potter universe. However, there were rumors that movies four and five would not be greenlit due to how dumbledore’s secrets it performs poorly at the box office.
