Daniel Radcliffe says he may not watch new Harry Potter series

Daniel Radcliffe has spent more time at Hogwarts than almost anyone alive, which may be why he isn’t rushing back. With HBO’s television reboot of Harry Potter weeks from its debut, the actor who first brought the boy wizard to the screen says he hasn’t decided whether he’ll watch it.

'I don’t know if I will'

Speaking to the Associated Press, Radcliffe was candid when asked whether he planned to tune in. He said he genuinely wasn’t sure, and gave two reasons. The first is obvious: after ten years playing the character across eight films, he feels he has already had his fill of the franchise.

The second has nothing to do with Harry Potter at all. Radcliffe said, "I've been in a lot of Harry Potter already. Also, I don't watch any TV. I haven't seen Breaking Bad. I haven't seen Mad Men. I haven't seen some of the real classics. Eight hours is a lot of anything to watch."

A letter, but no advice

Staying away from the screen doesn’t mean he’s indifferent to the people taking over. Radcliffe wrote to Dominic McLaughlin, the young actor cast as the new Harry, to wish him luck in the role.

What he deliberately left out was guidance. Radcliffe explained that any tip he passed on would likely follow McLaughlin into every future interview, with reporters asking about it again and again, and he has no wish to shadow the newcomer that way. In his view, McLaughlin already has what he needs. Radcliffe added that he’s confident the young star will be great and is looking forward to meeting him eventually. “I'm sure Dominic is going to be better than me. I learned as I went. I look back on what I did now with a lot more kindness, and I find it less embarrassing now that I'm older. But I was very much learning how to do it for a long time on Potter,” he had said.

“When these kids got cast, there's a whole thing around the internet, around the world, people being like, 'We've got to look after these kids.' If you mean that, if everyone really means what they are saying, then one of the things you can do for me is not ask about me and Rupert (Grint) all the time.”

What to expect from the series

The show opens with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, adapting J.K. Rowling’s first novel across an eight-episode debut season aimed at introducing the story to a younger audience.

Alongside McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton plays Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout plays Ron Weasley. The adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.

The series premieres next month and will stream on OSN+ from December 25.