Two of the largest Harry Potter fan sites have chosen to distance themselves from author JK Rowling.
The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet, which have a total of over a million followers on Facebook, issued a statement explaining that Rowling’s recent comments on transgender issues were “out of step with the message of acceptance and empowerment we find in her books and celebrated by the Harry Potter community.”
“As this fandom enters its third decade, J.K. Rowling has chosen this time to loudly pronounce harmful and disproven beliefs about what it means to be a transgender person,” the statement claims.
“Although it is difficult to speak out against someone whose work we have so long admired, it would be wrong not to use our platforms to counteract the harm she has caused.
Harry Potter films, ranked from worst to best
1/9 9. The Deathly Hallows — Part 1
Where do we start with this one. It’s pretty drably shot, albeit with a few nice landscape shots thrown in for filler, and nothing happens for vast stretches of the film. With little to work with, the lack of on-screen chemistry between the leads is also exposed pretty routinely throughout too — the bizarre dance sequence with Harry and Hermione in the tent is a series nadir, and remarkable for all the wrong reasons.
Even Hedwig and Dobby’s moving death scenes aren’t enough to elevate it into something more compelling. However, arguably the film’s biggest crime was starting the exploitative trend for splitting climactic books into two movies — something The Hunger Games would also do a few years later. It’s a pretty shameless bridging movie that really didn’t need to exist.
2/9 8. The Goblet of Fire
Firstly, the boys’ hair in this film is something else. Harry and Ron are wizards — surely they could have conjured up a decent back and sides?
Hair qualms aside, Daniel Radcliffe’s acting is noticeably poor in this one, and he’s also a little too old to be excused on account of his age. The film leaves out some pretty significant stuff too — the interesting S.P.E.W and Ludo Bagman plotlines are ignored, while the new characters aren’t fleshed out, meaning it’s difficult to feel emotionally invested. It also contains some of the most cringe-worthy sequences — the moment Harry eats the Gillyweed, then backflips in front of the crowd like a demented fish is poorly CGI’d and hopelessly out of character for our unassuming hero. However, the sequence where Harry takes on the Norwegian Ridgeback and the graveyard showdown introducing Ralph Fiennes as Voldermort are both very well executed.
3/9 7. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Fantastic Beasts proved a perfectly reasonable, if unspectacular addition to the extended Potter universe in 2016 — which is probably just about as much as could be expected.
Redmayne’s Scamander isn’t the strongest lead to hang a franchise around, but performances by the likes of Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller and Katherine Waterston helped it tick along just fine. The Tardis suitcase containing a whole host of critters is pretty cool, too. Whether the sequel can prove as successful following the backlash surrounding Johnny Depp is another question.
4/9 6. The Order of the Phoenix
The real star of Order of the Phoenix is, unquestionably, Imelda Staunton’s Professor Umbridge. She’s flawlessly played and arguably more chilling than Voldermort — especially as she’d still be a terrifying character without the need for magic.
Elsewhere, Radcliffe’s performance is relatively strong for the most part, and his attempts to woo Cho Chang are actually pretty endearing, even if the kiss scene is a little robotic. In reality though, the film is let down by the subject material. The Order of the Phoenix is a arguably the least compelling novel, bloated and overlong, with one of the least captivating plot lines — the fight to stop Voldermort getting his hands on a shiny cricket ball in the Ministry for Magic isn’t the most enthralling premise. Ultimately though, it’s a solid addition to the series that deals pretty well with the flaws of the book — we’d place it higher in the list, but one must not tell lies…
5/9 5. The Deathly Hallows — Part 2
Things go from the sublime to the ridiculous in the The Deathly Hallows Part 2 — the sequence in which we see Snape’s memories of Lily Potter in the pensive is perfectly done, and delivers one of the biggest emotional payoffs in the franchise. Harry’s dream encounter with Dumbledore in Kings Cross station is also very well judged. That being said, the totally bizarre addition of Harry and Voldermort’s fight sequence, in which they jostle and tustle around the rooftops of Hogwarts is totally unnecessary and just plain daft.
Notably, the deaths of characters like Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Colin Creevey in the Battle of Hogwarts are totally brushed over and never given the significance they deserve either. The ‘19 years later’ scene on Platform 9 ¾ is hopelessly out of place too. However, the film ties the series together reasonably well and provides great spectacle.
6/9 4. The Half-Blood Prince
The Half-Blood Prince marked the point at which the Potter films started becoming visually murky — with the filmmakers seemingly confusing physical darkness for intensity and intrigue. However, squint hard enough and you can see a pretty compelling film taking place, with the intriguing early stages of the hunt for the horcruxes being well conveyed on screen.
Radcliffe’s performance has improved here, although his painful attempts at chatting up a waitress in the film’s opening few minutes is cringe-worthy in the extreme. However, there’s a whole lot to enjoy here. The sequence which sees Dumbledore and Harry travel to the cave to track down Salazar Slytherin’s locket of is genuinely pretty scary, while the movie also features one of the strongest performances in the entire series from the incredible Alan Rickman.
7/9 3. The Chamber of Secrets
The first two films in the Harry Potter series are by far the most divisive — they’re loved or hated, with no room for middle ground. While it feels unfair to criticise the acting exploits of young children, there’s no denying that the standard is pretty poor throughout — Rupert Grint arguably delivers his best performance of the whole series here though, pulling some amazing ‘scared faces’ during their trip to the Forbidden Forest. Sure, the visual effects are a little rudimentary at times, but there’s a sense of wonderment and magic that the franchise seems to lose a little as it progresses. Whatsmore, Kenneth Branagh is superb as the vain and cowardly Professor Lockhart, while Shirley Henderson is perfectly cast as Moaning Myrtle.
8/9 2. The Philosopher’s Stone
Few films can claim to have created an entire universe as successfully as The Philosopher’s Stone. The first, and arguably most recognisable Potter movie established a world incredibly efficiently and proved a fantastic launching-off point for the rest of the movies.
Of course, none of the kids can really act, apart from Matthew Lewis as Neville, but Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and Richard Griffiths are all fantastic. Richard Harris’s tragically short-lived time in the role still lives long in the memory too — delivering the definitive Dumbledore performance, despite only appearing in two films.
It captures the mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere of Hogwarts beautifully, and just as Harry encounters the wizarding world for the first time, viewers are transported along with him. There’s so much innocent joy and wonder to be found here — it blew your mind as a child, and if you let it, it still has the power to inspire today.
9/9 1. The Prisoner of Azkaban
The Prisoner of Azkaban marked a step-up for the franchise in 2004 as a piece of technical filmmaking. There’s real cinematic flair on display from Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron as he mixed stunning cinematography with a slickness that elevated the film. The scenes involving Buckbeak are beautifully played and joyously realised, while the time travel sequences are stylishly executed.
The dynamics between the main trio are more clearly defined than ever, while Harry’s new relationship with Sirius — the closest thing to a father figure he’s ever experienced — makes for pretty stirring viewing. We also see Harry begin to realise his potential as a wizard, mastering the patronus charm during the film’s emphatic finale.
There’s no doubt that it’s a standout moment from a franchise that continues, even 17 years after the first film was made, to bring joy to millions around the world.
1/9 9. The Deathly Hallows — Part 1
Where do we start with this one. It’s pretty drably shot, albeit with a few nice landscape shots thrown in for filler, and nothing happens for vast stretches of the film. With little to work with, the lack of on-screen chemistry between the leads is also exposed pretty routinely throughout too — the bizarre dance sequence with Harry and Hermione in the tent is a series nadir, and remarkable for all the wrong reasons.
Even Hedwig and Dobby’s moving death scenes aren’t enough to elevate it into something more compelling. However, arguably the film’s biggest crime was starting the exploitative trend for splitting climactic books into two movies — something The Hunger Games would also do a few years later. It’s a pretty shameless bridging movie that really didn’t need to exist.
2/9 8. The Goblet of Fire
Firstly, the boys’ hair in this film is something else. Harry and Ron are wizards — surely they could have conjured up a decent back and sides?
Hair qualms aside, Daniel Radcliffe’s acting is noticeably poor in this one, and he’s also a little too old to be excused on account of his age. The film leaves out some pretty significant stuff too — the interesting S.P.E.W and Ludo Bagman plotlines are ignored, while the new characters aren’t fleshed out, meaning it’s difficult to feel emotionally invested. It also contains some of the most cringe-worthy sequences — the moment Harry eats the Gillyweed, then backflips in front of the crowd like a demented fish is poorly CGI’d and hopelessly out of character for our unassuming hero. However, the sequence where Harry takes on the Norwegian Ridgeback and the graveyard showdown introducing Ralph Fiennes as Voldermort are both very well executed.
3/9 7. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Fantastic Beasts proved a perfectly reasonable, if unspectacular addition to the extended Potter universe in 2016 — which is probably just about as much as could be expected.
Redmayne’s Scamander isn’t the strongest lead to hang a franchise around, but performances by the likes of Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller and Katherine Waterston helped it tick along just fine. The Tardis suitcase containing a whole host of critters is pretty cool, too. Whether the sequel can prove as successful following the backlash surrounding Johnny Depp is another question.
4/9 6. The Order of the Phoenix
The real star of Order of the Phoenix is, unquestionably, Imelda Staunton’s Professor Umbridge. She’s flawlessly played and arguably more chilling than Voldermort — especially as she’d still be a terrifying character without the need for magic.
Elsewhere, Radcliffe’s performance is relatively strong for the most part, and his attempts to woo Cho Chang are actually pretty endearing, even if the kiss scene is a little robotic. In reality though, the film is let down by the subject material. The Order of the Phoenix is a arguably the least compelling novel, bloated and overlong, with one of the least captivating plot lines — the fight to stop Voldermort getting his hands on a shiny cricket ball in the Ministry for Magic isn’t the most enthralling premise. Ultimately though, it’s a solid addition to the series that deals pretty well with the flaws of the book — we’d place it higher in the list, but one must not tell lies…
5/9 5. The Deathly Hallows — Part 2
Things go from the sublime to the ridiculous in the The Deathly Hallows Part 2 — the sequence in which we see Snape’s memories of Lily Potter in the pensive is perfectly done, and delivers one of the biggest emotional payoffs in the franchise. Harry’s dream encounter with Dumbledore in Kings Cross station is also very well judged. That being said, the totally bizarre addition of Harry and Voldermort’s fight sequence, in which they jostle and tustle around the rooftops of Hogwarts is totally unnecessary and just plain daft.
Notably, the deaths of characters like Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Colin Creevey in the Battle of Hogwarts are totally brushed over and never given the significance they deserve either. The ‘19 years later’ scene on Platform 9 ¾ is hopelessly out of place too. However, the film ties the series together reasonably well and provides great spectacle.
6/9 4. The Half-Blood Prince
The Half-Blood Prince marked the point at which the Potter films started becoming visually murky — with the filmmakers seemingly confusing physical darkness for intensity and intrigue. However, squint hard enough and you can see a pretty compelling film taking place, with the intriguing early stages of the hunt for the horcruxes being well conveyed on screen.
Radcliffe’s performance has improved here, although his painful attempts at chatting up a waitress in the film’s opening few minutes is cringe-worthy in the extreme. However, there’s a whole lot to enjoy here. The sequence which sees Dumbledore and Harry travel to the cave to track down Salazar Slytherin’s locket of is genuinely pretty scary, while the movie also features one of the strongest performances in the entire series from the incredible Alan Rickman.
7/9 3. The Chamber of Secrets
The first two films in the Harry Potter series are by far the most divisive — they’re loved or hated, with no room for middle ground. While it feels unfair to criticise the acting exploits of young children, there’s no denying that the standard is pretty poor throughout — Rupert Grint arguably delivers his best performance of the whole series here though, pulling some amazing ‘scared faces’ during their trip to the Forbidden Forest. Sure, the visual effects are a little rudimentary at times, but there’s a sense of wonderment and magic that the franchise seems to lose a little as it progresses. Whatsmore, Kenneth Branagh is superb as the vain and cowardly Professor Lockhart, while Shirley Henderson is perfectly cast as Moaning Myrtle.
8/9 2. The Philosopher’s Stone
Few films can claim to have created an entire universe as successfully as The Philosopher’s Stone. The first, and arguably most recognisable Potter movie established a world incredibly efficiently and proved a fantastic launching-off point for the rest of the movies.
Of course, none of the kids can really act, apart from Matthew Lewis as Neville, but Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and Richard Griffiths are all fantastic. Richard Harris’s tragically short-lived time in the role still lives long in the memory too — delivering the definitive Dumbledore performance, despite only appearing in two films.
It captures the mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere of Hogwarts beautifully, and just as Harry encounters the wizarding world for the first time, viewers are transported along with him. There’s so much innocent joy and wonder to be found here — it blew your mind as a child, and if you let it, it still has the power to inspire today.
9/9 1. The Prisoner of Azkaban
The Prisoner of Azkaban marked a step-up for the franchise in 2004 as a piece of technical filmmaking. There’s real cinematic flair on display from Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron as he mixed stunning cinematography with a slickness that elevated the film. The scenes involving Buckbeak are beautifully played and joyously realised, while the time travel sequences are stylishly executed.
The dynamics between the main trio are more clearly defined than ever, while Harry’s new relationship with Sirius — the closest thing to a father figure he’s ever experienced — makes for pretty stirring viewing. We also see Harry begin to realise his potential as a wizard, mastering the patronus charm during the film’s emphatic finale.
There’s no doubt that it’s a standout moment from a franchise that continues, even 17 years after the first film was made, to bring joy to millions around the world.
“Our stance is firm: Transgender women are women. Transgender men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary. Intersex people exist and should not be forced to live in the binary. We stand with Harry Potter fans in these communities, and while we don’t condone the mistreatment JKR has received, we must reject her beliefs.”
The statement adds that both sites will no longer covering any of the 54-year-old’s personal endeavours, or feature photos of or quotes from Rowling.
The statement comes after Rowling wrote a lengthy personal essay detailing her position over transgender issues. Rowling published the blog after facing criticism for a string of tweets on an article about menstruation.
Rowling herself has denied being transphobic on multiple occasions.
The row has seen numerous stars from the Harry Potter franchise, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Fantastic Beasts frontman Eddie Redmayne, throw their support behind the trans community.
Four authors have quit the literary agency the Blair Partnership, which represents Rowling, in protest.
Standard Online has contacted JK Rowling’s agent for comment.
