J.K. Rowling, author of the “Harry Potter” series, will be the focus of a new BBC documentary. The two-part programme has not yet been given a title.
According to the official synopsis, the documentary “charts Rowling’s meteoric rise, cultural impact and contentious legacy, using her life as a lens through which to explore three decades of profound social, political and technological change”.
The first episode will look back at Rowling’s childhood, her success with “Harry Potter” and the unprecedented impact of the book series. The second will focus on her political views in the age of social media and “escalating culture wars”.
“Admired by supporters as a fearless champion of women’s rights and criticised by those who see her as an enemy of trans equality, she is now at odds with some of the actors and fans who once passionately supported her work,” the description says.
Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books were published between 1997 and 2007 and became the basis for a billion-dollar franchise. It includes eight film adaptations starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, as well as an upcoming HBO series.
“Thirty years after the publication of the first ‘Harry Potter’ book, there could be no more fitting time for the BBC to explore the journey of one of the leading figures in British literature. No retrospective on 21st-century British culture would be complete without the story of the young wizard created by J.K. Rowling, the publishing and film phenomenon she gave rise to, and the divisive public figure she has become,” said Simon Young, head of commissioning for BBC History.
Source: CNA
