Summary
-
The Christmas Pig
, a children’s book by J.K. Rowling, is being adapted into a film. - Despite controversies surrounding Rowling, the book was a bestseller in 2021.
- Recent films in the
Harry Potter
universe have received poor reviews, but
The Christmas Pig
could still perform well.
A J.K. Rowling book adaptation is currently in the early stages of development. Rowling is most known for writing the seven-novel Harry Potter series. Harry Potter’s seven books were developed into eight movies, with three prequel spinoff movies found in the Fantastic Beasts trilogy. The franchise will also continue soon with the HBO Harry Potter television series adaptation that is currently in the works.
As per Variety, an adaptation of Rowling’s The Christmas Pig is currently in development. According to the source, the children’s book adaptation is early enough in its development stages that it does not yet have a production company nor distributor. The film’s cast has not been announced either, and representatives from Rowling did not comment on the series.
Will The Christmas Pig Do Well Despite Rowling Controversy?
With the most recent films in the
Fantastic Beasts
being panned and Rowling being under scrutiny, it is somewhat surprising that a studio would want to take on a project from the author.
The Christmas Pig is a bestselling Rowling children’s book released in 2021. Its plot follows the story of a young boy named Jack who faces the loss of his beloved pig toy Dur Pig after his step sister throws Dur Pig out of the window of a moving car. The toy is replaced by a Christmas Pig who aids Jack in trying to track down Dur Pig. Along their journey, the two encounter festive beings, including jolly Santa Claus and more.
The development of The Christmas Pig is notable given the controversy surrounding Rowling. In the years since Harry Potter’s release, Rowling has become one of the most controversial literary figures around. This controversy stems from a number of avenues, including Rowling trying to retcon elements of the Harry Potter series to make it more diverse and inclusive, and the author speaking out against transgender people in her personal life. Recently, Rowling doubled down on this latter point, dissing Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson for their open support of trans rights.
Beyond Rowling’s personal controversies, the recent Harry Potter universe films have received poor reviews. The most recent film in the series, titled Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore received a paltry 46% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film before that had an even worse score, standing at a 36%. Two additional Fantastic Beasts sequels had been rumored, but now their future seems in doubt given the poor reception of the previous two films.
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With the most recent films in the Fantastic Beasts being panned and Rowling being under scrutiny, it is somewhat surprising that a studio would want to take on a project from the author. That said, the book version of The Christmas Pig did well upon its release, and 2021 was well into the existing Rowling controversy (though prior to the release of the most recent Fantastic Beasts film). So, it is still possible that The Christmas Pig could end up performing decently well, even in the wake of widespread Rowling hatred.
Source: Variety