The original stars as well as many other original cast members are returning for the HBO Max special.
Pull out your dress robes and hold your wands at the ready because the original Harry Potter cast is reuniting for a special event! On Tuesday, HBO Max announced that Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and more of the franchise's original stars will be coming together for Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.
In a teaser trailer featuring footage from the original films, the streaming service teased the retrospective of one of the biggest franchises of all time.
Chris Columbus, the director of the first two films, as well as stars Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, and more have been listed to participate in the special event.
The special will air on HBO Max at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2022, and will feature the British stars reflecting on the eight-film franchise on the 20th anniversary of the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. According to HBO Max, the special will "tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey."
Noticeably absent from the list of attendees is Potter scribe J.K. Rowling, who came under fire in 2020 for her very public transphobic comments. Several members of the cast including Radcliffe, Watson and Grint spoke out in support of the transgender community following Rowling's multiple statements and comments. It is unknown if she will participate in the reunion.
ET spoke with Radcliffe back in July about the 20th anniversary of Potter and, at the time, he didn't seem to know about any reunion plans.
"I have really, really fond memories of all my scenes with Gary Oldman and David Thewlis," the 32-year-old actor said. "They were some of the first scenes on the third and the fifth film where I started to feel like I was a young man who was just starting to figure out what acting was, and they were pretty cool people to be around."
After news broke about the anniversary special, Emma Watson posted a throwback pic of her and her co-stars, along with a message of her own.
"Harry Potter was my home, my family, my world and Hermione (still is) my favorite fictional character of all time. 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 DAMN WELL KNEW!!! And still know. I am proud not just of what we as group contributed as actors to the franchise but also as the children that became young adults that walked that path," the 31-year-old actress wrote. "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. Thank you to the fans that have continued to show their support well after the last chapter closed. 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."
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts premieres Jan. 1, 2022 on HBO Max. (We may receive an affiliate commission if you subscribe to a service through our links.)
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