HBO Max announced Tuesday that ‘Harry Potter’ stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson will stage a rare reunion next year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first film in the blockbuster franchise, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’, which came out in November 2001.
Streaming New Year’s Day, HBO Max’s ‘Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts’ will see the golden trio reunite for the first time since the final ‘Harry Potter’ movie premiered in 2011, according to a spokesperson for HBO Max.
Not participating in the reunion special is ‘Harry Potter’ author J.K. Rowling, who has come under fire in recent years for repeatedly making remarks widely criticised as transphobic.
For a decade, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson played Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively, in the fantasy film series based on the seminal books of the same name.
Other ‘Harry Potter’ alumni returning for the HBO Max special include Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black) and Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge).
Also joining the project alongside ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ and ‘Chamber of Secrets’ director Chris Columbus are Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), James Phelps (Fred Weasley), Oliver Phelps (George Weasley), Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Ian Hart (Professor Quirrell).
“Harry Potter was my home, my family, my world and Hermione (still is) my favourite fictional character of all time,” Watson wrote Tuesday on Instagram. “I think a journalist once said it was irritating how many times during an interview I mentioned how lucky I was and started counting… BUT I [expletive] WELL KNEW!!! And still know.
“I am proud not just of what we as [a] group contributed as actors to the franchise but also as the children that became young adults that walked that path. I look at my fellow cast members now and I am just so proud of who everyone has become as people. I am proud we were kind to each other that we supported one another and that we held up something meaningful.”
Several months after all eight “Harry Potter” films became available on HBO Max, the streaming giant’s latest foray into the Wizarding World will feature interviews with cast members reflecting on the making of the beloved cinematic saga.
Next spring, ‘Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts’ will also air on TBS and Cartoon Network ahead of the release of Warner Bros.’ ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’.
“Thank you to the fans that have continued to show their support well after the last chapter closed,” Watson continued on Instagram. “The magic of the world wouldn’t exist without you. Thank you for fighting to make it such an inclusive and loving place.
“I still miss the crew who made these films all the time. Thank you for all of your hard work too — I know your contributions sometimes get overlooked. Happy 20th Anniversary Potterheads! ... Lots to look forward to.”
