It seems like HBO’s new Harry Potter TV show is unable to catch a break from backlash. After widespread criticism to casting Paapa Essiedu, a Black man, as Severus Snape, outraged netizens have now set their sights on the rest of the cast: Hot Fuzz actor Nick Frost, who got cast as the loveable giant Rubeus Hagrid, has recently limited the engagement on his Instagram account following excessive hate comments. Likewise, Dumbledore actor John Lithgow has now confessed that he’s been caught off guard by the vitriolic response to his involvement in the project.

Of course, the backlash is due to the ongoing controversy surrounding JK Rowling, the infamous author of the original Harry Potter book series, whose repeated transphobic remarks have left a sour taste in the mouths of many once-devoted fans.

Throw some franchise fatigue into the mix, as well as audiences generally growing more sceptical towards reboots, and you have yourself an internet that simply cannot stop buzzing about how much this remake isn’t needed, prepped and ready to shun each and every actor associated with it.

 

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A post shared by Nick Frost (@friedgold)

In an Instagram post, actor Nick Frost posed with a copy of the first book in the series, Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, along with the caption: “You’re a wizard, Harry!!! Thank you for trusting me with such a loyal, gentle and courageous half-giant like Rubeus Hagrid.”

As you can imagine, the 1,483 comments on his post ended up being less than congratulatory, prompting the actor to disable the comments on this post and limit them for the rest of his Instagram page.

Actor Nick Frost is currently getting destroyed on his Instagram for willingly joining the cast of JK Rowling’s new Harry Potter TV show reboot & tacitly supporting her irredeemable bigotry.

It’s so bad he disabled comments on a post holding up a Harry Potter book.

Not great…

— Wizarding News™ (@wizardingnews) April 15, 2025

His colleague, legendary villain and Conclave star John Lithgow, received a similar response on his own Instagram account.

“Mr. Lithgow, I’ve been a huge fan of yours over the years, and even remember that time you portrayed a trans woman in The World According to Garp. I am begging you to take a stand now, especially in light of the UK Supreme Court decision, to STEP DOWN from the new Harry Potter/JK Rowling project. Furthermore, I do hope you encourage the rest of the cast to do the same. No amount of money or franchise esteem is worth the cost of trans lives. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope you do the right thing,” one comment read.

“Please do the right thing and get away from Rowling,” another person wrote.

Someone else commented: “I used to look up to you. I have adored your performances. I am so heartbroken that you would choose to appear in the new HP series. It actually pains me to think that you are not the stand up man that I always thought you were.”

Lithgow has played trans and gay characters in the past, which seemed to heighten the scrutiny he was facing, particularly from members of the LGBTQAI+ community. So, the actor did something the rest of the cast haven’t done so far. He responded directly to the concerns raised… sort of.

During an interview with The Times, Lithgow stated that before it was even announced that he had the role, he received a text from “a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child, and that was the canary in the coalmine.” The text contained an article titled An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away from Harry Potter. It described JK Rowling as “anti-trans” and “attacked trans kids directly,” saying “There are no trans kids. No child is born in the wrong body.”

About these concerns raised, he thought: “[W]hy is this a factor at all? I wonder how JK Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her and I’m curious to talk to her.”

So instead of disavowing Rowling’s comments, like most netizens desired, the actor noted that they simply shouldn’t have any bearing on the upcoming remake. It’s probably needless to say that the backlash didn’t subside…

@nothingeverlosthp

#harrypotterfandom #jkrisabadwriter #deconstructingharrypotter #jkrisabigot #jkrisaterf #harrypotter #hboharrypotter #johnlithgowdumbledore #johnlithgow

♬ original sound - NothingeverlostHP

Of course, the question at the heart of the controversy many of these actors are facing right now is simple: does involvement within the project signal an alliance with JK Rowling or tolerance for her anti-trans values and belief system?

It’s an instrumental question everyone involved in this project should seriously grapple with, if they wish to regain the trust of a fanbase that’s no longer willing to separate the art from the artist. So this current strategy of denial and avoidance isn’t doing it, that’s for sure.

Granted, it’s not an easy question to answer—because Harry Potter isn’t just a book series anymore. It’s a British cultural landmark, and a billion-dollar industry.

For many, their careers, childhood memories, and even livelihoods are wrapped up in the world Rowling created. Entire industries, from publishing and tourism to theatre and merch, have grown out of it. It doesn’t begin and end with her anymore. Trying to unpick that influence in the UK is like trying to erase tea from British identity. Good luck.

So, how much her residuals should impact one’s continued involvement with the franchise is up to individual contemplation. One shaped by identity, values, and nostalgia—and increasingly, how loudly the internet wants you to choose.