J.K. Rowling is so controversial that any involvement in a project she is attached to will draw attention and questions. Keira Knightley is part of the latest example: the actress recently signed on to play Dolores Umbridge in an audiobook production of the Harry Potter series, and is facing backlash for it.
During an interview about her newest movie, the Netflix film The Woman in Cabin 10, Knightley answered a question about the project in a way that sent activists reeling.
The interview was on Zoom with Decider journalist Anna Menta and included Simon Stone, the director of The Woman in Cabin 10. The majority of the interview talks about the movie, which follows Knightley’s character, a journalist who is assigned to cover a charity cruise, only to uncover a sinister plot.
Keira Knightley Refuses To Cave To Activist Pressure
During the interview, both Stone and Knightley talked about the difficulties of filming on a cruise ship (they couldn’t touch anything and were relegated to a small part of the boat) and how cold it was to film on the water in the English Channel. She compared the experience to her days filming Pirates of the Caribbean, especially regarding how much use she could make of her surroundings in both productions.
Buried at the end of the interview is the question, “Keira, my last question for you—I saw you’re voicing Professor Umbridge in the new Harry Potter audiobooks. Are you aware that some fans are calling for a Harry Potter boycott, given J.K. Rowling’s ongoing campaign against trans people?”
Knightley replied, “I was not aware of that, no. I’m very sorry.” She laughed nervously and then added, “You know, I think we’re all living in a period of time right now where we’re all going to have to figure out how to live together, aren’t we? And we’ve all got very different opinions. I hope that we can all find respect.” Stone jumped in and added his agreement.
J.K. Rowling Facing Down Activist Extremism
jk rowling
J.K. Rowling is so controversial for her defense of women from transgender self-identification and its consequences that she is considered by activists to be both far-right and bigoted. Recently, a park in Vancouver faced so much public backlash for trying to hold a Harry Potter-themed event that they were forced to cancel it. All three of the stars of the Harry Potter movies have denounced Rowling.
Despite this, Harry Potter properties still sell very well. A role-playing video game, Hogwarts Legacy, sold 34 million copies. The books and movies are still read and viewed in many languages by fans all over the world. There are Harry Potter theme parks, a sequel play, an upcoming new HBO series based on the seven books, and the audiobook that includes Knightley. Neither the disapproval of its stars nor the alleged boycott seems to have affected the Harry Potter franchise, nor have they dissuaded Keira Knightley from lending her voice to the audiobook.
Reaction To Keira Knightley’s Refusal To Condemn J.K. Rowling
Knightley has received both praise and censure for her response to the question. Some question her support for transgender people, claiming she doesn’t care, especially because she laughed. Her supporters say that her refusal to surrender to activist pressure is a positive in an industry where many professionals are activists themselves.
Knightley’s latest movie, The Woman in Cabin 10, dropped on Netflix on October 10. It also stars Guy Pearce and is based on the novel by Ruth Ware. Given how much news has been generated from her comments about J.K. Rowling, one would be forgiven for not having otherwise noticed her new movie.
