Overview

• Columbus told The Times a return with the original film cast is "never going to happen," calling the situation too politically complicated given the cast’s disagreements with J. K. Rowling.
• The director said he has not spoken to Rowling in about a decade but remains in close contact with Daniel Radcliffe and other former cast members.
• He abandoned interest in a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child film with the original actors, saying the project has become unworkable.
• Rowling responded on X on Sept. 1, reiterating and defending her views on sex and gender while criticizing colleagues who oppose her.
• HBO’s new Harry Potter series continues in production with Rowling involved, and executives say her personal beliefs have not affected casting or staffing decisions, with Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod leading the adaptation.