Image Source: Game News 24, J – 14
Harry Potter is coming back! Reunions are always a great thing to look forward to, and luckily, after a long wait of over a decade, we will get to see the original Hogwarts trio together on screen again. HBO Max will be hosting the incredible holiday season cast reunion.
This will be the first time for the actors of the iconic magical franchise in 20 years to come back together on screen and share their experiences during their stay at the magical world of Hogwarts. Here is everything you need to know about the most awaited reunion of this decade!
The reunion will bring the wizarding trio together so that they can together go through their times on the sets of the Harry Potter franchise. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were the three lead characters from the film series. Now, the trio will come together with director Chris Columbus and recount their adventurous tales from the times of Harry Potter. The actors had gone on to star in all eight of the Harry Potter movies. Now, with the 20th anniversary of the film series has rolled by, an HBO Max reunion is decided upon to honor the most legendary piece of cinema we got to see in this century.
HBO Max announced that the reunion will tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new, in-depth interviews and cast conversations,” and the feature is named “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” in the honor of the two-decade celebration. Apart from the reunion that will soon premiere on streaming service, you can watch all the eight Harry Potter films on HBO Max.
Other means to watch the reunion are Warner Media's TBS and Cartoon Network. However, these channels will air the reunion in spring 2020. Warner Bros. Pictures is also presently working on the Fantastic Beasts franchise's next film “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.”
Besides the golden Gryffindor trio, the reunion will also feature debuts from other Harry Potter actors Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, and Ian Hart.
Tom Ascheim, the president of Warner Bros, Global Kids, Young Adults, and Classics, shared, “It has been an incredible journey since the debut of the ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone film, and witnessing how it has evolved into this remarkable interconnected universe has been magical, to say the least.”
He continued, “This retrospective is a tribute to everyone whose lives were touched by this cultural phenomenon — from the talented cast and crew who poured their heart and soul into this extraordinary film franchise to the passionate fans who continue to keep the Wizarding World spirit alive 20 years later.”
Harry Potter reunion will release on January 1, 2022; Credits: TheWeek
The 20th anniversary special will now be produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television along with Warner Horizon at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter. “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” is going to have Casey Patterson of Casey Patterson entertainment as the executive producer who is known for “A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote” and Pulse Films' "Beastie Boys Story."
The executive producer also shared her delight about the reunion as she announced, “There’s magic in the air here with this incredible cast, as they all return home to the original sets of Hogwarts, where they began 20 years ago.” “The excitement is palpable as they prepare to take their fans on a very special and personal journey, through the making of these incredible films,” she added.
The special will feature a bracket-style quiz competition for its contestants termed “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses” that will air on November 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on TBS and Cartoon Network. The quiz show will be hosted by Helen Mirren and will take its fans along an event divided into four parts. The objective for the stars is to win the Tournament of Houses championship trophy. The competition will also feature debut performances by Tom Felton, Simon Fisher-Becker, Shirley Henderson, and Luke Youngblood. In addition to Harry Potter alumni, we will also get to see Harry Potter fanatics Pete Davidson and Jay Leno during the special. The “Hogwarts Tournament of Houses” will also stream on HBO Max on January 1.
The return to Hogwarts special announced on November 16, 2021, marks the 20 years of the first release of the Harry Potter film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the US. The reunion is supposed to take the audience "on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time". Releasing on New Year's Day January 1, 2021, for the US audience.
It is also worthy of mentioning that J. K. Rowling, the writer of the Harry Potter series and the Fantastic Beast novels, has not been invited to the cast reunion. She recently faced severe backlash after posting a few extremely transphobic tweets. The author's anti-trans on Twitter came after a magazine featured a gender-neutral vocabulary to talk about menstruation.
She tweeted, "‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate." Later, when fans called out rowling for her insensitive comment, the author tried justifying herself as she tweeted, "If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth."
Her hateful comments were then also criticized by Emma Watson, the Hermione Granger actress. The actress wrote: "Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are." She added, "I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you, and love you for who you are."
Daniel Radcliffe also shared his views as he said, "Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I...It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm."
"Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts" has not yet shared a trailer for the special cast feature, but the first peek into the show could drop anytime soon.
