EXCLUSIVE: There is a sense of destiny inFrancesca Gardinerbeing handed the keys to Hogwarts.
Her rise toHarry Potterimpresario, then, is her manifesting success on a grand scale.
Gardiner was picked for the job in Juneafter a grueling four-month selection process involvingJ.K.
Hermione Granger, played by Emma WatsonWarner Bros
We have also mined the handful of public appearances she made pre-Potter.
Harry Potteris in safe hands, says someone who knows Gardiner well.
Gardiner and her sisters collected stuffed rabbits and created an imaginary town for the toys.
She was taken out of school to sing in her fathers operas.
Over lingering summer holidays, the sisters turned curtains into costumes for musical plays penned by Gardiner.
Books were a safe space.
Lost in the imagination of great authors, she found her social footing.
In the 19th century halls of Bryanston boarding school, friendships took root around fantasy and magic.
She recalls weeping her way throughThe Amber Spyglass, the finale of Philip Pullmans sweeping trilogy of novels.
But it wasnt until she followed a boy to Argentina that she took her first steps towards writing professionally.
Gardiner almost literally jammed her foot in the door ofThe X-Fileswriters new home.
Her hosts tittered with laughter.
She dislikes feeling trapped in either zone and confessed to having never liked being part of an institution.
Its the kind of characteristic that could be tested in a place like Warner Bros Discovery.
I have a strong sense of my own taste.
Instead, Gardiner wants stories to ask questions.
Her partner is a professional poker player, who brings home prize pots worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Together, they have a young daughter and a Cavapoo.
Spotnitz introduced Gardiner to the world of writers rooms, which would put her on the path toPotter.
I just saw the way she carried herself, spoke to other people and navigated conflicts, Spotnitz remembers.
Garrett says this was particularly notable given that women were usually outnumbered by men in writers rooms.
Shes an amazing communicator of tone and vision, recalls Woodward Gentle, founder of Sid Gentle Films.
She is a strong advocate for people around her and for fairness.
Shes aware of the human side of everything.
This sense of emotional intelligence and collaborative spirit is a consistent observation among those who have worked with her.
He tells Deadline that Gardiner was consistently fearless about adapting the books and is a brilliant writer.
She was ultimately trusted with penning the final two episodes.
I dont think shes going to be a shaker-upper, a provocateur.
No deal is done, but a well-connected industry source says the Oscar winner is odds-on for the role.
Rowling has said she is very involved in the series a sentiment echoed by HBO chief Casey Bloys.
Her presence has been painful for somePottersuper fans who consider her Twitter posts on transgender rights to be toxic.
Rowlings views were not enough to stop Gardiner from taking the job.
For Garrett, this is as it should be.
One of the things for me that defines a great writer is curiosity.
You have to be open to the widest possible range of opinions, he explains.
Spotnitz adds: TheHarry Potterbooks are deeply humanist, empathetic, enlightened work.
People can disagree about other things, but I think they deserve the place they hold in our culture.
So what advice does Spotnitz have for his former apprentice?
Its not a task it’s possible for you to approach with fear.
It has to be a task you approach with love.
