Canadian Director Says No to Harry Potter Show Due to Transphobia Concerns

Ally Pankiw shared a message on social media about J.K. Rowling's views.

Ally Pankiw, a Canadian director, said she turned down a job on a new Harry Potter TV series because of concerns about transphobia.

Pankiw posted a text conversation on Instagram where she said no to working on the new Harry Potter series.

Pankiw said it's easy to say no to funding transphobia.

She also mentioned that the job was for directing, not acting.

Pankiw has directed several projects, including episodes of Black Mirror and a comedy series called Feel Good.

The text conversation was from April 21, but it's not clear who she was talking to.

The new Harry Potter series will be on HBO Max on December 25, 2026, and is based on the first book in the series.

J.K. Rowling has been criticized for her views on trans issues, including a tweet from 2019 and an essay she wrote.

Rowling recently said she still believes what she wrote in the essay, which some people find hurtful.

Last year, Rowling started a fund to support people who have been discriminated against for their beliefs about gender.

Some people have criticized a Harry Potter promotion by Tim Hortons, saying it's not supportive of trans people.

A Vancouver park event related to Harry Potter also got attention from J.K. Rowling.

Rowling's views have caused problems for the Harry Potter franchise, including with actors and partnerships.

Representatives for Rowling said they have no comment on the situation.

Another director, Kate Herron, also shared her experience of saying no to working on the series.

Herron commented on Pankiw's post, saying thank you and expressing respect and love.

Herron said she was asked twice to work on the series, but her answer was always no.

Herron has directed several popular series, including Loki and The Last of Us.

Pankiw praised Herron's decision to say no to the series in an Instagram story.

Pankiw also mentioned Herron's decision in a post, saying it's not easy to say no twice.

Representatives for HBO's parent company have not responded to questions about whether other people have said no to working on the show.

A representative for Pankiw has not responded to a request for more information about the text conversation.

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