After finishing the "Harry Potter' series, J.K. Rowling moved on with her first "adult' novel, "The Casual Vacancy', which signaled the author's break from the wizarding universe.
Published in 2012, "The Casual Vacancy' has been adapted into a miniseries and is now heading to HBO on April 29 and 30. Compared to the "Harry Potter' series, Rowling's fictional, black comedy novel follows a much darker story that revolves around political and societal controversies.
"There are some common themes between "The Casual Vacancy' and "Harry Potter,' I suppose," director Jonny Campbell said. "But if you come to this story expecting "Harry Potter,' it will be a cold shower."
Campbell pointed out that, while "The Casual Vacancy' highlights the vulnerabilities of a teenager, there will be no magical solutions to resolve the issues that arise.
According to Sarah Phelps, who adapted Rowling's book into a three-hour screenplay, some viewers might expect certain "Harry Potter' elements to be incorporated into the upcoming TV adaptation. However, "The Casual Vacancy' should be deemed as a story on its own from beginning to end.
Highlighting the seemingly tranquil English town called Pagford, Rowling presents the story of a town in the midst of war and controversy. Despite its peaceful market square and abbey, tensions between family and community members are common.
The TV adaptation of "The Casual Vacancy' stars Michael Gambon as Howard Mollison, chairman of the Pagford Parish Council, while Julia McKenzie takes on the role of his character's wife Shirley.
Although Gambon has been widely recognized for portraying Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six "Harry Potter' films and that he also plays a leader in the upcoming miniseries, no other similarities between his two roles can be recognized.
Other cast members include Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Abigail Lawrie, Richard Glover, Emily Bevan and Brian Vernel, among others.
According to Campbell, the novel follows many different stories at once and viewers can look forward to rearrangements in terms of characters and events in the TV adaptation.
"For the film version, Sarah has woven them into a tapestry where you see how all the stories come together," Campbell explained.
Unfortunately, "The Casual Vacancy' has only attained three stars for its ratings in Amazon and is reportedly the lowest rated book amongst the novels that Rowling has already published.
Currently, the award-winning author is also taking part in BBC One's TV adaptation of another one of her works, "The Cuckoo's Calling', which will then be followed by the adaptation of "The Silkworm.'
In addition, the 49-year-old author is co-writing the script for the movie adaptation of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' alongside Steve Kloves, a longtime screenwriter for the "Harry Potter' films. The book will reportedly be adapted into a trilogy feature and its three films will be released in 2016, 2018 and 2020.
