On November 4, 2001, Leicester Square in London was transformed into a magical world: it was the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Sage's Stone." The BBC described the scene: “Thousands of excited fans, many wearing costumes including magic pointy hats and long robes, lined both sides of Leicester Square to catch a glimpse of the stars as they arrived.” Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who played Harry Potter, was 12 years old at the time and was deeply affected by this scene. The British Broadcasting Corporation quoted him as saying: “This is very wonderful. I have never heard my name called so many times in one hour.”
This turnout showed how widespread "Harry Potter fever" was. Only four years ago, the first volume of the Harry series was published by the British publishing house Bloomsbury, with a first edition of no more than 500 hardcover copies. In parallel, about 5,000 copies of a small pocket edition were issued at that time.
Today first editions are in high demand and bound copies fetch record prices at auctions. In mid-October, one copy sold for US$400,000 at the American auction house Heritage Auctions.
The first volume of the Harry Potter series was initially spread mainly in schools. It only came to media attention after winning the prestigious Nestlé Smarties Book Award the same year. With sales estimated at more than 120 million copies worldwide, it is today one of the best-selling novels in the entire history of literature.
JK Rowling is a controversial writer
From a single mother living on government assistance to a billionaire: the success story has always shaped JK Rowling's image in public opinion. But a few years ago, her stance on gender and trans issues became fodder for critics.
In an article published on her website on October 21, 2026, she affirmed that she rejects “the current dominant form of transgender rights activism.” “This approach assumes that a man who describes himself as a woman is in fact a woman and should therefore be treated as such in all areas of life.” But JK Rowling believes that allowing transgender women to enter spaces designated for a specific gender represents a danger. For her, biological sex is “an indisputable biological fact.”
Because of such statements, critics accuse the writer of being transphobic. While others believe that her position represents a defense and protection of women’s rights. Her fan base is also divided. Some support her, others call for a separation between the writer and her works, while others have boycotted her. Among them is German YouTuber Coldmirror. "I no longer have any love for Harry. I still have a fundamental interest in him, but I can no longer watch him with a clear conscience," Katherine Fricke, the real name of the Bremen-based media artist, told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. She indicated that the reason for this is the writer JK Rowling's stance against transgender people.
There is also disagreement between the actors of the Harry Potter films. The three main actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint publicly declare their support for transgender people, while Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) and Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) defend Rowling's right to take this position.
The Harry Potter series begins on Christmas
Despite the controversy surrounding the author, Warner Brothers, which owns the rights to the Harry Potter films, decided to reproduce the book series, this time in the form of a series for its streaming service. The series is scheduled to be released on December 25th.
The first part consists of 8 episodes. The duration of each episode is not yet known. In any case, there will be more room for side stories, character development, and life at Hogwarts. While many fans are looking forward to this detailed figure, some are still skeptical as it is difficult for them to imagine the characters known to be played by other actors.
The series stars Dominic McLoughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
JK Rowling is involved in the series as an executive producer. But her views on gender identity will not be factored into the show's plot. Many of the series' participants have publicly distanced themselves from her positions. For example, Papa Asiedu, who plays Snape, signed an open letter in support of transgender people. Rowling responded to this by saying that she had neither the authority nor the desire to exclude him from the series for this reason. John Lithgow, who plays Dumbledore, and Nick Frost, who plays Hagrid, also expressed their criticism of Rowling's positions.
However, sales of promotional products are proceeding smoothly. On November 4, the largest Harry Potter store in the United Kingdom to date opened in London. According to Warner Brothers, the store extends over two floors and has an area of more than 1,950 square meters.
And for fans of Harry Potter in German: After the success of the Harry Potter audio book series in English and with the full cast, now comes a German version. The first audio book, "Harry Potter and the Sage's Stone," is scheduled to be released on November 10. In addition to Daniel Brühl as Lord Voldemort, Nina Hoss as Professor Minerva McGonagall and Armin Rudi as Hagrid, among others, will participate in the voice acting.
Prepared in Arabic by: M.A.M
