Famed Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is still under fire for making anti-transgender remarks on Twitter over the weekend, and the controversy is showing no signs of slowing down.
When asked to comment on Rowling’s tweets that attacked the validity of transgender women’s sexuality and spurred an intense backlash on social media, Universal Parks & Resorts, which hosts the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks and rides, affirmed its commitment to diversity and inclusion in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
“Our core values include diversity, inclusion and respect for all our guests, as well as our team members. Our theme parks are places where people and families of all types are welcome to enjoy their time together. Beyond that, we have no further comment.”
Universal Parks’ statement arrived on the heels of the two biggest stars of Rowling-based properties, Eddie Redmayne and Daniel Radcliffe, both making separate public statements disagreeing with the author and asserting that transgender women are women. As THR notes, Universal’s addition to the mix now puts increased pressure on Scholastic and Warner Bros. to break their silence on the controversial situation. Scholastic publishes the Harry Potter books while Warner Bros. owns the rights to the films along with the prequel series Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.
In light of Rowling’s remarks, the Beast franchise could be in even more trouble after the second installment, The Crimes of Grindlewald, already failed to match the box office of Fantastic Beasts. As public opinion continues to turn on the author, Warner Bros. could face some tough sledding when the third film hits theaters. If it even makes it that far.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
