When we talk about franchises that have stuck with us even after a long, long time, there is no way we wouldn’t talk about Harry Potter. Written by JK Rowling, the books were a getaway for anyone wanting to experience the fantasy world of magic. And then came the movies that brought that fantasy world to life and how! However, the legacy of Harry Potter has seemed to tarnish over the years.
Author JK Rowling has been in a bad light for years now because of her anti-trans views. And when Harry Potter and the Cursed Child cast a Black actress to play Hermione Granger, the response wasn’t entirely positive. Therefore, now that HBO Max has surprised all the Potterheads with an announcement about a Harry Potter TV series, some fans are wondering if Hermione will be Black and if that would be the right way to go.
Will Hermione be Black in the New Harry Potter Series?
In December 2015, it was announced that actress Noma Dumezweni will be taking on the role of Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. While the response to this was pretty positive, there were some fans who didn’t agree with the casting. This led to JK Rowling herself speaking up about the matter at hand stating that there was no reason why Hermione couldn’t be black.
And now, fans are wondering whether the HBO Max series will have a black Hermione just so Rowling could stay true to her words. There’s also a discussion about the ways this could backfire at Rowling as well as at the storyline. One reason is the whole story with Hermione and the house elves where she tries to stop their unfair treatment through S.P.E.W. Fans are wondering how that will play out with a black Hermione. But then again, this storyline never made it to the original movies so who knows, maybe the TV series will end up skipping it too!
Here’s what Twitter’s saying about it all:
I just realized that since JK claimed Hermione was always black when she cast a black actress as her in the Cursed Child. She has to cast a black actress for her in the show or she'll look like an idiot. But all of her fans are huge racists so they'll turn on her if she does
— Alice💖 (@AerithsSeat) April 12, 2023
I‘m honestly worrying about whoever gets cast in those roles. Especially if JK tries her usual retcon diversity and casts a black Hermione again and triggers the racists in the fandom. These kids will go through hell.
— Raffael (Ulysses 3DArt) 🏳️🌈 (@UlyssesArtist) April 13, 2023
JK Rowling deciding on wether or not to cast a black actress as Hermione, in order to come across less problematic and make people forget about her transphobic comments. https://t.co/nZR2gzElsl pic.twitter.com/kAK6ZFJRtT
— Jay 🪐🇨🇩 (@J_Onaka) April 12, 2023
It also means that since this is claiming to be a 'faithful adaptation' of the books, they'd have to include a subplot of a black character being mocked for trying to end slavery.
— aimée dangerously ✰ (@sapphyreblayze) April 12, 2023
JK about to cast a Black Hermione to deflect from her transphobic views, only for that Hermione to be called in-universe slurs and being ridiculed for her anti-slavery campaign… pic.twitter.com/0Q3IDR6mLL
— NaijMizuho 🇨🇦🇵🇭 #BlackLivesMatter (@SnippyAsianGuy) April 12, 2023
Do you think having a black Hermione would be the way to go for the series? Whatever may end up happening, one thing that’s for sure is that not everyone is going to be happy with the upcoming series for more reasons than one
JK Rowling’s Thoughts on Black Hermione
After Dumezweni’s casting faced the backlash it did, Rowling stood up for the actress stating that Hermione’s race was never discussed in the books. In an interview with The Guardian, Rowling stated that she always knew “that idiots were going to idiot” and that Dumezweni was chosen for the role because “she was the best actress for the job.”
Rowling added that when the books talked about Hermione’s “white face” it was because the color left her face due to shock and that the character has her blessing to be black.
“I had a bunch of racists telling me that because Hermione ‘turned white’ – that is, lost color from her face after a shock – that she must be a white woman, which I have a great deal of difficulty with. But I decided not to get too agitated about it and simply state quite firmly that Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm.”
Despite the negativity surrounding Dumezweni’s character, she ended up winning the Laurence Oliver Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She was even nominated for a Tony Award when she reprised her role. As for the series, fans are divided on whether they want a black Hermione or not. What are your thoughts?
HBO Max’s Harry Potter series is expected to release around 2025 or 2026.
Source: Twitter
