‘Is Voldemort gonna be the good guy?’: ‘Harry Potter’ reboot hit with another Bludger as showrunner’s dark heritage is revealed

Talk about a cursed child. HBO’s incoming TV-sized reboot of the Harry Potter franchise has been beset by digital dementers ever since it was announced as Wizarding World fans have rallied against the show for all kinds of reasons. One most agreed on, though, was that having J.K. Rowling involved with the show was the most controversial move it could make. To that, the series’ showrunner has apparently said “hold my beer.”

As post-production intensifies on the ambitious (and expensive) small-screen rendering of the beloved seven-book saga, Deadline published a profile piece all about EP Francesca Gardiner. This appeared to be part of a possible push from HBO to show that Rowling is not the creative face of the reboot, perhaps to distance the series from the author’s marred reputation. What the studio probably didn’t bank on is the internet quickly finding out some unsavory facts about Gardiner’s family tree.

Gardiner, who comes from an affluent British family, happens to be the granddaughter of Rolf Gardiner, a writer who is historically recorded to have been a Nazi sympathizer. Given how Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters are famously inspired by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, it’s no surprise that the dark jokes are rolling in — with variations of the same gag popping up like someone made a Doubling Charm.

Some are even accusing the fallen-from-grace Rowling of making this hiring personally.

The controversies in the Gardiner family don’t stop with Francesca’s grandfather either. Her father, celebrated conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner, essentially lived out the plot of Tár in 2023 when he was forced to step back from his career after he angrily punched a singer in his orchestra in the face. It’s unclear if he has since gone on to score video games, like Cate Blanchett’s own cancelled composer.

As for Francesca Gardiner herself, the Deadline profile reveals some details about her rise up the career ladder that have resulted in further criticism. Gardiner received a big leg up in the industry when she was hired as a “writer’s friend” for Emerald Fennell on Killing Eve season 2, before being promoted to co-executive producer in season 3. Her subsequent credits have included HBO series His Dark Materials and Succession.

“That’s a pretty limited work history to be given a show of this magnitude,” opined one Reddit user. “Let’s hope whatever they see in her manifests itself for the rest of us.”

As for the rest of the show’s writing team, Gardiner has brought on board Laura Neal (EP for Killing Eve‘s vastly unpopular fourth season), Andy Greenwald (creator of short-lived USA Network series Briarpatch), and her sister, Josephine. Josephine Gardner has yet to have a major screen credit to her name. Succession director Mark Mylod is reported to be on course to sit behind the camera. Casting is still in the early stages, but Mark Rylance is the favorite to play Professor Dumbledore while I May Destroy You‘s Paapa Essiedu has been offered the part of Severus Snape.

The cast and crew is filling in, but winning over the legions of skeptical Potterheads out there might not be so easy. At this point it feels like a Warner Bros. exec must’ve wished on a Monkey’s Paw that a Harry Potter reboot get made, whatever happens…