JK Rowling opted to sit out Harry Potter reunion but will appear in archival footage

It was previously reported that Harry Potter creator JK Rowling would only be featured via archival footage in an upcoming reunion featuring the cast and crew of the popular film series. Her decision: JK Rowling, 56, and her publicity team made the choice for her to only appear in the upcoming Harry Potter reunion special Return To Hogwarts via archival footage, Entertainment Weekly reported on Thursday; seen in 2017 in London The 56-year-old author was reportedly approached about filming new footage for the reunion, but she and her team determined that an interview shot in 2019 would suffice. Sources close to the decision claim that Rowling's statements about gender and transgender individuals didn't influence into the decision to sit out the special; Daniel Radcliffe pictured in Return To Hogwarts Despite her lack of new material, Harry Potter stars will be seen praising 'the power of her writing' in the reunion. She is She's back: Rowling, who was 'canceled' by the trans community over comments some believe to be transphobic, will be seen 'sparingly' in footage from a 2019 interview; seen in 2018 The eagerly-anticipated reunion sees Radcliffe join fellow leads Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, and Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, as well as a slew of fellow costars in marking 20 years since the franchise first aired. Controversy: Rowling faced renewed criticism after her thriller Troubled Blood featured a male serial killer who wore women's clothing to catch his victims; seen with Rupert Grint and Radcliffe Rowling later clarified that she respects 'every trans person's rights to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them,' and went on to say she would march 'if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans.'