Black Mirror director Ally Pankiw has said she rejected an opportunity to work on HBO‘s upcoming Harry Potter series because of J.K. Rowling‘s views on gender.
Pankiw, who directed the 2023 Black Mirror episode ‘Joan Is Awful’, shared a screenshot on Instagram of what appeared to be an exchange with her representative, who wrote: “I have an instinct on the answer but I feel compelled to ask. Harry Potter? Hard no?”
“Absolutely fucking not! Lol… (But thank you for asking),” Pankiw replied. Her representative responded: “Of course :)… I assumed as much… (And agree).”
The Canadian filmmaker captioned the post: “It simply is this easy to say no to funding transphobia!”, and later clarified that the offer was “for directing, not acting…obviously lol.”
‘Black Mirror’ director Ally Pankiw reveals she turned down directing the ‘Harry Potter’ HBO series:
“It simply is this easy to say no to funding transphobia!” pic.twitter.com/akGyYNSK86
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 14, 2026
In the comments, Loki director Kate Herron said she had also been approached about the series on more than one occasion. “They’ve asked me twice and I’ve had to explain my answer is never going to change from a no,” she said.
Pankiw’s reference to “transphobia” relates to Rowling’s controversial views on gender and public hostility to the trans community. The author is serving as an executive producer on the new HBO show, and her views have led to calls for a boycott of the series, while many actors have faced criticism for their involvement.
Earlier this week, Nicholas Hoult was announced as Gilderoy Lockhart and was criticised by some fans for agreeing to be a part of the show. He has not publicly responded to the backlash.
Several other cast members have distanced themselves from Rowling’s views, with Petunia Dursley actor Bel Powley saying she “strongly disagrees” with Rowling on the issue, adding: “I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance”.
John Lithgow, who is playing Albus Dumbledore, said he considered leaving the project after receiving criticism but ultimately chose to stay. He has described Rowling’s views as “ironic and inexplicable”, while saying the books themselves are “clearly on the side of the angels, against intolerance and bigotry”.
Nick Frost, who is portraying Rubeus Hagrid, said his opinions “don’t align in any way, shape or form” with Rowling’s. Severus Snape actor Paapa Essiedu, meanwhile, signed an open letter calling for the UK entertainment industry to protect trans rights.
HBO’s adaptation is planned to run for seven seasons, with each instalment covering one of Rowling’s original books. The first, based on Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, premieres on HBO Max on Christmas Day.
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