JK Rowling Producer’s Profits Plummet; ‘Strike’ Renewal Confirmed After BBC Trans Apologies

EXCLUSIVE: JK Rowling’s production company Brontë Film and TV has posted a 74% drop in profits after Covid closed theatre performances of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.

Brontë Film and TV was established in 2012 as a vehicle through which to adapt Rowling’s work. She founded the company with her literary agent Neil Blair and is the majority shareholder.

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The outfit’s pre-tax profit was £1.8M ($2.2M) in the 12 months to March 2022, compared with £6.9M over the same period the year before. Brontë Film and TV’s revenue halved to £8.8M, according to a UK Companies House filing.

The company’s earnings report blamed “lower income streams and profit shares from theatrical productions which were closed for a large part of the [financial] period due to Covid restrictions.”

Brontë’s subsiduary, Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, reported revenue of £3.5M, which was down £6.6M, or 65%, compared with 2021. Its pre-tax profit fell 84% to £1.1M.

Brontë confirmed that it was adapting The Ink Black Heart for the BBC after Deadline revealed the plans earlier this month. It said production will begin later this year, with a premiere set for 2024.