HBO’s ferocious family drama Succession is the front-runner for the main ceremony, which takes place on 13 September. The show received 25 nominations in total, including acting nods for almost all of the main cast – Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, J Smith Cameron, Sarah Snook, Nicholas Braun, Kieran Culkin, and Matthew McFayden.
The contents of the Hogwarts Legacy collector’s edition and deluxe edition have appeared online.
As spotted by Reddit user u/BattleDashBR, hidden files on the Hogwarts Legacy website have been spotted that appear to show the various items included in the collectors and deluxe versions of the game.
It is unclear how long this file has been present on the website, however it is attached to links to large US retailers Best Buy and Game Stop, suggesting that the preorder campaign for these items could begin soon.
The majority of the items included in both editions appear to be cosmetics for use within the game. The trailers for the game have shown a wide range of customisation options, but it’s unclear at this stage if these items would be exclusive to these editions or simply early unlockables.
Mounts have been shown as part of the initial trailer and the recent State of Play, however, the Thestral, which is a skeletal horse only visible to people in the Wizarding World who have witnessed death, have yet to be shown as a mount.
The collector’s edition also is said to feature a “Floating Ancient Magic Wand with Book”, which may be a physical item, as it’s not included in the deluxe edition.
In Hogwarts Legacy, the use of “Ancient Magic” is something unique to the player, allowing them to traverse through areas of Hogwarts untouched by normal students. The State of Play presentation suggested this would be the main crux of the game, so an item in the collector’s edition representing that would make sense.
The eagle-eyed members of the Hogwarts Legacy subreddit recently uncovered another secret seemingly hiding in plain sight, a look at the game’s UI.
As posted to the r/HarryPotterGame subreddit, menu elements appear for as little as a few frames.
Due to be published under Warner’s Portkey Games label, it was originally scheduled to be released in 2021 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.
However, last year Warner delayed the game’s release window to 2022. It recently reiterated plans to release Hogwarts Legacy this year (including a previously unannounced Switch version), along with WB Games Montreal’s Gotham Knights, which will arrive in October.
However, a crucial cast member was missing. Michael Gambon, who played Albus Dumbledore in six films, after taking over from the late Richard Harris, didn’t appear in the reunion special at all, beyond footage from the films. In fact, he was barely mentioned in the episode, which led fans to wonder why he had been ‘completely snubbed’. “Why was Michael Gambon completely snubbed? Is there a story there?” one fan asked on Twitter.
Another mentioned how their joy of watching the special was ‘overshadowed’ because of his absence. Also missing were Maggie Smith and even series author JK Rowling. One fan tweeted, “My enjoyment of the Harry Potter 20th anniversary was overshadowed by the missing cast, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Bradley to name a few. Whatever your thoughts are on JK Rowling, she should have been included.”
Return to Hogwarts was interesting. Overall was pleased and thought it was a nice reunion and homage to the movie universe specifically. I do wish they talked a bit more about key cast members who weren’t there like Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon. Otherwise very well done ✨
— tired (@incognito_mood) January 2, 2022
Okay, so the most bizarre thing about the Potter reunion is not even the JKR stuff…it’s the fact that they talk SO much about Richard Harris and barely mention Michael Gambon. Who did he piss off?
— Esther Zuckerman (@ezwrites) January 1, 2022
Why was Michael Gambon, “Dumbledore” not really talked about in the reunion. Like not really at all.. he’s such an important figure #HarryPotter20thAnniversary pic.twitter.com/6ZeMkazJrf
— Cindy Rodriguez (@rubyalexi) January 1, 2022
In contrast to Richard Harris’ serene take on Dumbledore, Gambon’s more fiery portrayal has always been the subject of debate. His interpretation of the character deviated from how he was described in the books.
Michael Gambon had expressed his excitement to play the role of the headmaster, as he was used to ‘playing crooks and killers’ prior to Dumbledore. “Then Dumbledore is the complete opposite, isn’t he? He’s a nice old man,” he had once said in an interview. He had mentioned how it would ‘always be a happy memory’.
In 2015, Michael Gambon revealed that he could no longer do stage plays, owing to memory loss. “It’s a horrible thing to admit, but I can’t do it,” he had told the Sunday Times. He said that it took forever for him to ‘learn the script’ and that it was ‘frightening for him’.
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Are you still waiting on your Hogwarts letter?
Well, even if it hasn’t arrived yet, you may have visited Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, collected Harry Potter merchandise, like wands and mugs, or just watched allll the Harry Potter movies multiple times! Well, can now get some NEW Harry Potter items to bring a sense of that magic home.
Vera Bradley just released a NEW Harry Potter collection, and it will feature two designs focused on some of Harry Potter’s friends, like Hedwig, Dobby, Cerberus, Fawkes, and more! The Friends of Hogwarts design will also feature the Hogwarts crest.
Another design, the Friends of Hogwarts Ditsy has a fun pattern with Crookshanks, Dobby, Professor McGonagall AS A CAT(!), a Time Turner, and more!
This Small Vera Tote comes in the Friends at Hogwarts Ditsy print. It comes with lots of pockets for easy organization and it’s made with recycled cotton.
Get it for $105!
The Harry Potter Campus Backpack comes in two different prints, both the Friends at Hogwarts print and the Ditsy print. This backpack is made with recycled cotton and it features a laptop compartment along with plenty of internal organization and space for all your things.
Get either print for $150.
If you’re looking for a travel bag, this Harry Potter Weekender Travel Bag is available in the Ditsy print, with a detachable strap and five mesh pockets inside.
You can order this bag for $160!
Bags aren’t the only thing included in this release! There are also home, apparel, and gift items available, like this Harry Potter Hooded Fleece Robe, made with lightweight fleece and raglan sleeves.
Get it now for $75!
And this Harry Potter Throw Blanket features the Hogwarts Crest, but you can also get it in the Ditsy print. It’s a pretty big size at 50 inches wide by 80 inches long.
You can cuddle under this blanket for $75.
You can check out the whole Harry Potter Vera Bradley Collection now, but don’t wait too long to place your order!
Need even MORE Harry Potter in your life? You might want to check out the interactive Forbidden Forest Experience, which is coming to the U.S. soon!
Interested in everything at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando? We’ve ranked EVERYTHING — and if you want to do everything there in one day, here’s an itinerary! Stay tuned for more Harry Potter news.
Will you be grabbing a Vera Bradley Harry Potter bag? Let us know in the comments!
Before heading to the Toronto International Film Festival, where I knew I would be watching Weird: The Al Yankovic Story—the Weird Al movie starring Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al—I did my research by watching Weird Al’s Behind the Music.
The episode is so charming mainly because of how the parody songwriter-slash-accordionist fails to fit into the classic rock-star mold. Whereas most installments of the VH1 series are laden with drama and drug use, Weird Al’s is about a smart boy who loved dorky comedy and somehow miraculously made an entire career out of it.
Weird, co-written by Yankovic and director Eric Appel, is not that story. It’s essentially a Weird Al parody of a biopic that happens to be about Weird Al. But in recasting Weird Al as a troubled genius with demons aplenty, it loses the absolute charm of its subject and creator. Sure, it’s clever at first, but after a while it starts to feel like you’re watching yet another tiresome biopic that hits the same beats as every other biopic—except this one is supposed to be fake and funny.
Yes, there’s the former Harry Potter in a curly wig baring his (shockingly) ripped chest in an open Hawaiian shirt. And, yes, there are cameos aplenty, some more delightful than others. But the conceit of “What If Al Yankovic Was Actually a Jerk” is not strong enough to carry a movie that lasts nearly an hour and 40 minutes, and the laughs never really amount to more than a chuckle.
In the weird Weird version of Yankovic’s story, Yankovic comes from a family where the idea of writing silly new lyrics to preexisting songs is shunned by his father (the hilarious Toby Huss), who wants him to work in his factory. (What does the factory make? Don’t worry about it. All you need to know is that people get maimed.)
When an accordion salesman (actual Al friend Thomas Lennon) comes to the door, the young Al is captivated by the instrument, but his dad beats the shit out of the peddler. His mother (Julianne Nicholson, always wonderful) buys it for him to play in secret. A scene where Al lets his talents loose at a teenage polka party is particularly inspired. These early scenes are where Appel finds the best alchemy of homage and playful skewering, but even then he’s competing with the masterpiece of fake rock biopics, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
By the time Radcliffe takes over playing Al, his ascension to fame is quick. He improvises the words to his “My Sharona” knock off “My Bologna” while making sandwiches for his dopey roommates. He’s taken under the wing of his idol Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson)—a real person who influenced Yankovic’s career, if you didn’t know—who invites him over to his house for a soiree that’s like the pool bash scene in Boogie Nights, if it were populated by a bunch of famous people playing slightly more niche famous people. (Think: Conan O’Brien as Andy Warhol; Jack Black as Wolfman Jack.)
By the time Evan Rachel Wood enters as her gum-popping version of Madonna, the movie spirals off the rails. It’s not that Wood’s impression is not good. She’s clearly having a great time emulating the pop star’s put-on quasi Brooklynese, but the fictional spin on Madonna is uncomfortably retrograde. Framing the pioneering musician as a money grubber who seduces Al so he’ll parody one of her songs and make her even more famous just starts to feel icky the longer it goes on. It eventually takes up the back half of the runtime.
Weird isn’t quite savvy enough to actually comment on the trope of the femme fatale bringing down a talented man, so instead the joke becomes, “Wasn’t Madonna horny and fame hungry?”
There’s a similar issue that works against Radcliffe’s go for broke performance as Al himself. The screenplay never finds a personality for this Weird Al beyond the stereotypes that it’s making fun of. You start to long for the real, sweetly nerdy Al instead of this alternate universe version you’re watching. Radcliffe is basically playing Jim Morrison in oversized glasses—nothing resembling the actual reason you’re probably watching this in the first place.
Weird Al’s whole deal works because it’s unrepentantly goofy. There’s no commentary in replacing the lyrics to “Beat It” with “Eat It” or making a version of “American Pie” about the Star Wars prequels. Weird, which will eventually premiere on the Roku Channel, gets too bogged down in the genre it’s spoofing that it forgets to be light and random. In short: It’s just not weird enough.
As a Harry Potter fan, it’s easy to get caught up in a desire to want more. That is, after all, why the Fantastic Beasts series was born, out of a desire to give the hungry fans who have read all seven books numerous times and sat through many a Freeform movie marathon weekend something new to cling to. While the spin-off franchise got off to a great start with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, centering on the author of one of the textbooks taught at Hogwarts, the ending made it very clear: this is the story of Dumbledore and Grindelwald told through Newt Scamander. Planed as a five-part series, the second installment, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was met with both critical detestation and fan disappointment. With the future of the franchise potentially hanging on a thin thread, I went into Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore wearing both hats; that of a critic, but also that of a massive Harry Potter fan and a Hufflepuff who has relished in having one of my own at the center(ish) of this franchise.
(Warner Bros.)
My first impression is that The Secrets of Dumbledore course-corrects the series in many ways and also rights a few of the wrongs that made me feel underwhelmed by The Crimes of Grindelwald. Chief among them, Newt Scamander feels like the central character again. Sure, the narrative spends enough time away from him to feel a little unfocused, mostly following the titular wizard and his nemesis/heart’s desire, but overall, this one feels like it’s Newt’s movie again. The other joyous element of this Fantastic Beasts entry is that the beasts are back. In the last installment, Newt’s occupation as a magizoologist felt barely part of the series. Here, it’s what ultimately drives him back on a path that intersects with Grindelwald and therefore, his old Hogwarts professor. The nifflers and bowtruckle continue to follow Newt on his adventures, sadly the only recurring magical creatures we see him care for this time around. There is, however, a wondrous new entry as well, an adorable and charming creature called a Qilin that fans of the series are sure to fall in love with. There’s also a creature from the Harry Potter books that briefly appears for diehard fans (never named in the film, but if you know you know) and, overall, the return of these moments restores some much-needed lighthearted and whimsy to the series, another complaint of the last entry.
With a four-year gap between installments, partially due to the pandemic, partially due to other challenges, it’s hard to overlook some of the overhauls present in The Secrets of Dumbledore. Chief among them is the recasting of Gellert Grindelwald, formerly portrayed by Johnny Depp and henceforth performed by Mads Mikkelsen. It takes about twenty minutes to get used to the change and while Mikkelsen takes his own approach, making his own unique mark on the character, it is different. I actually prefer his take to Depp’s. Visually, he’s less offputting, striking a more natural hair and eye color and becoming someone that’s easier to believe the masses would follow as a leader. He feels darker and more menacing in the role as well, with Depp perhaps too recognizable with caricatures like Captain Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka to truly break free of them at this point.
Far from perfect, the film falters in a number of ways. The plot is weighed down by too many characters, including the development of a few new ones while bringing ones you thought we were done with back into the fold. The consistent inciting incident for the series thus far has also surrounded Credence, with the heroes trying to protect him and Grindelwald trying to turn him into a weapon. He’s back again and in The Secrets of Dumbledore (the title, at least in part, referring to him), he ultimately feels inconsequential here. It evokes the same level of disappointment Star Wars fans hold against the sequel trilogy, feeling like Rey’s parents would be of importance.
Another issue with the third installment is that it does little to refresh viewers on the events of The Crimes of Grindelwald, requiring it to be fresh in your mind or you will be lost at times. Such was the case with my moviegoing buddy, who casually enjoys Harry Potter films but has never had a Pottermore or Wizarding World account. The few refreshers included often come well after they were required, making the film feel half-baked at times.
As a fan, it’s fun to see new corners of the Wizarding World. The first entry brought with it MACUSA and mentions a U.S.A. version of Hogwarts (Ilvermorny, which we will likely never see on screen). The second took us to Paris and this time around, the compass has been set for Berlin. With each film depicting a new locale, it feels like part of the vision is to give fans around the world a piece of the Wizarding World that they can claim as their own. At the same time, the parallels between Grindelwald and Hitler are hard to miss and Germany in the 1930s is not exactly a magical place to be. The franchise seems bent on giving fans a Wizarding World Tour, but this stop feels like a questionable choice.
The biggest problem, however, is that Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore doesn’t do much to move the needle towards the finish line. You don’t have to be a huge Harry Potter fan to know where this is all heading, which takes some of the excitement out of it. If you had to sum up the plot of The Crimes of Grindelwald, it’s simply that the titular wizard breaks free and gains power. This one, despite the title not including his name, is basically Grindelwald gains even more power in spite of a few setbacks. If there are to be two more films, the next will likely be more of the same, unless J.K. Rowling has some serious tricks up her sleeve that have yet to be properly set up. The million-dollar question for Warner Bros. is whether or not they will invest in that future, or merely count their losses and try to stop this niffler from pocketing more galleons.
I give Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore 3 out of 5 entries in a story based off the back of a chocolate frog card.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore opens in theaters on Friday, April 15th.
Now fans will be delighted to know that the Harry Potter 20th anniversary: Return to Hogwarts reunion special is now finally available to watch.
UK fans initially had many sleepless nights worrying how they were going to watch the reunion, given that HBO Max is yet to be made available on our shores.
However, British fans of the Wizarding World were delighted with the news that the hotly-anticipated reunion has finally found a home in the UK – and it landed at the same time as the US!.
Sky TV and its streaming service NOW are currently showing the reunion special and from the same day as HBO Max in the US.
Ahead of the reunion special, Hermione Grainger actress Emma Watson shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, writing: “I am proud not just of what we as group contributed as actors to the franchise but also as the children that became young adults that walked that path.
“I look at my fellow cast members now and I am just so proud of who everyone has become as people.
“I am proud we were kind to each other that we supported one another and that we held up something meaningful.”
Fans had already been treated to a first look at the reunion, showing Radcliffe, Watson and Grint chatting together just like old times in the Gryffindor common room at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.
Well, now we no longer have to wait, but how does one watch the reunion special?
See the details below, while if you want to know how to watch the Harry Potter films in order, see our guide.
Harry Potter 20th anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is out now in the UK on Sky Max and NOW.
The special has been released on the same day as the release in the US on HBO Max.
If you want to watch the reunion on NOW, you’ll need an Entertainment Pass, which costs £9.99 per month – but there’s also a seven-day free trial if you’re a new subscriber.
The trailer for the event is available to watch below.
The official synopsis from Sky notes: “Old memories shared. New memories made.
“Come celebrate the magic when Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: #ReturnToHogwarts arrives on New Year’s Day, on Sky Max.
“Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and more.”
And that’s not all.
Sky NOW have also aired the Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses from the 29th December 2021.
The special four-part event, hosted by Dame Helen Mirren, sees Wizarding World fans have their Harry Potter knowledge put to the test in an attempt to be named House Cup Champion.
In addition, Sky and NOW are also the exclusive home of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which have joined the full collection of the Harry Potter Movie Series on a Wizarding World 20th Anniversary pop-up channel set to go live on 19th December 2021.
Zai Bennett, Sky MD of Content UK and Ireland, said: “20 years ago we welcomed a little bit of cinema magic into the world as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone had its big screen debut.”
“It’s a franchise like no other, enchanting generations of children and adults alike. We’re marking the occasion by adding every film in the Wizarding World film series to our cinema line-up this festive season and we’re thrilled to be the exclusive home of the next piece of Hogwarts history.”
It’s not unusual for HBO titles to air in the UK on Sky and streaming service NOW on the same day they release on HBO Max.
This was the case with Friends: The Reunion special which was released in May earlier this year, and is also planned for the upcoming Sex and the City sequel series, And Just Like That…, which premiered on the 9th December 202
Unfortunately, HBO Max is not currently available for viewers in the UK, so you will need to find content from Warner Media elsewhere.
But fans need not fear for, as detailed above, following in the footsteps of HBO’s Friends: The Reunion, the Harry Potter special will air in the UK on Sky Max via Sky TV.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is available now on Sky Max and NOW in the UK, while the special is available in the US on HBO Max.
The HBO Max special celebrates the 20-year anniversary of the big-screen Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first movie adaptation in the wizarding franchise, and will see actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint join others to discuss the making of the film.
And now the special documentary is finally available to watch.
Now available to watch on Sky and NOW in the UK from New Year’s Day (the same day it will be released on HBO Max in the US), a whole host of familiar faces will be taking a trip down memory lane.
Joining the iconic trio will be Tom Felton, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, and Evanna Lynch, and many more.
Tom Ascheim, who is the president of Warner Bros’ Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics section, said in a statement: “This retrospective is a tribute to everyone whose lives were touched by this cultural phenomenon – from the talented cast and crew who poured their heart and soul into this extraordinary film franchise to the passionate fans who continue to keep the Wizarding World spirit alive 20 years later.”
Executive producer Casey Patterson added: “There’s magic in the air here with this incredible cast, as they all return home to the original sets of Hogwarts, where they began 20 years ago.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the Harry Potter reunion special below.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will be released on HBO Max on New Year’s Day 2022.
In exciting news, the reunion special will be available to watch in the UK on the same day, with Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts becoming available to watch on Sky Max and streaming service NOW from 1st January 2022.
It comes in the wake of the reunion special for the Friends cast, which was also released on HBO Max earlier this year.
For more information, see here on how to watch Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts.
Sky and NOW will also air Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses on 29th December 2021, which will see Wizarding World fans have their Harry Potter knowledge put to the test as they fight to be named House Cup Champion.
In addition to its release on 1st January 2021, the reunion special will also air in the US on TBS and Cartoon Network in spring 2022 in the run-up to the theatrical release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
A press release confirming the special revealed that it will “tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time”.
Alongside actors, Radcliffe, Watson and Grint, the director of the first two films, Chris Columbus, will also join the TV special to “honour the magic behind the making of the films and the beautiful family created at Warner Bros Studios London two decades ago”.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts has unveiled its full trailer which shows all of the cast members appearing.
We can see cast members interact in the special and there are also interviews with some of our favourites.
The clip can be found below and features some emotional reunions for some of our favourite cast members.
Sky adds: “Old memories shared. New memories made. Come celebrate the magic when Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: #ReturnToHogwarts arrives on New Year’s Day, on Sky Max.”
The feature will “tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new, in-depth interviews and cast conversations”, according to HBO Max.
Meanwhile, an additional teaser trailer for the event was also released and can be found below.
The teaser confirms all of the names of the people taking part in the event and pushes that the special will arrive as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day in the US and from 8am in the UK.
The official release for the trailer adds: “Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson join other esteemed cast members across all eight Harry Potter films as they travel back to Hogwarts for the first time to celebrate the anniversary of the franchise’s first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which premiered 20 years ago this year.”
It adds: “The retrospective special Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.
“The highly-anticipated retrospective will be a capstone event of the holiday season, dropping as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, on HBO Max.”
We can hardly wait!
Long-time Harry Potter fans will be thrilled to hear that stars Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) will join director Chris Columbus and other famous faces for the event.
Watson recently spoke out about the upcoming reunion, writing on Instagram: “Harry Potter was my home, my family, my world and Hermione (still is) my favourite fictional character of all time. I think a journalist once said it was irritating how many times during an interview I mentioned how lucky I was and started counting… BUT I DAMN WELL KNEW!!! And still know.
“Thank you to the fans that have continued to show their support well after the last chapter closed. The magic of the world wouldn’t exist without you. Thank you for fighting to make it such an inclusive and loving place.”
Other cast members due to return include Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Bonnie Wright, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, and more.
Tom Felton recently posted a photo Twitter of himself wearing a Slytherin jumper and a scarf with the house colours, alongside the caption: “Back to school.”
Felton’s post sent fans wild, with one responding “All the feels”, while another added: “Don’t get put in detention!” Who can blame them: after all, the reunion wouldn’t be complete without Slytherin’s poster boy himself, Draco Malfoy, would it?
Author and Harry Potter creator JK Rowling does not appear during the cast reunion special but does appear in the show’s archive clips.
The author’s controversial comments about transgender issues have faced a great deal of debate in recent months.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is available now on Sky Max and NOW in the UK, while it is available on HBO Max in the US.
Quidditch, a sport that originated from the fictional world of Harry Potter and found its way to the real world, has decided to change its name to quadball.
According to the BBC, the sport’s move is designed to “distance” itself from Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
What is quidditch, why teams are deciding to ditch the word now, what is the entire controversy, let’s find out.
What is quidditch?
The fictional sport is a creation of JK Rowling for her bestseller Harry Potter series of books.
Played on flying broomsticks, quidditch can be deemed similar to hockey or football. The fictional sport involves two teams on flying broomsticks trying to score in one of the opponents’ three hoops high above the ground.
The real-life version, however, does not involve any flying, but to stay in the spirit of the game, players run with brooms between their legs.
The “muggle quidditch” has been around since 2005 and is currently being played by about 600 teams in 40 countries, according to the BBC.
The first match was played at Middlebury College in Vermont in 2005, where the game was created by Alex Benepe and Xander Manshel.
Why the name change?
The Harry Potter author has long been accused of being transphobic, an allegation she has denied.
Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are among those who have distanced themselves from her comments, and Rowling did not participate in the filming of a reunion special aired earlier this year.
As per the BBC, the International Quidditch Association (IQA) and Major League Quidditch (MLQ) said the writer coming “under scrutiny for her anti-trans positions” and a desire to grow the sport commercially were factors in the decision.
In December last year, US Quidditch and Major League Quidditch had said that they were considering a name change since they did not receive many sponsorship and broadcast opportunities.
Warner Bros, which produces the Harry Potter film series, owns the copyright for the sport’s present name.
Similar to the sport in the books, quidditch in the real world has remained a full-contact mixed-gender sport that encourages those who identify with the trans and non-binary community to take part.
Jack McGovern, a spokesman for US Quidditch and Major League Quidditch, told the New York Times that the sport’s association with Rowling had created a problem in recruiting new players.
The Guardian reported that the Major League Quidditch and US Quidditch will now be known as Major League Quadball and US Quadball respectively.
The International Quidditch Association is expected to change its name in the near future.
With inputs from agencies
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Potterheads across the world celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday on 31 July. The boy wizard shares his birthday with his creator JK Rowling
