Harry Potter films turns 25 ahead of new TV series’ release

The first Harry Potter film premiered in London on 4 November 2001, launching a film series that helped turn the books into a global phenomenon. Twenty-five years later, a new HBO adaptation is due to bring the story back to screen, while anticipation for the series is intertwined with debate over author J.K. Rowling’s views on transgender identity.

The first book, published in 1997, has sold more than 120 million copies worldwide; a rare first-edition hardcover recently sold at auction for $400,000. The new series’ first season is planned as eight episodes adapting that book, with more room for its subplots and characters than a film allows. The article also notes that the original cast is divided in its public responses to Rowling’s views.