The "Harry Potter" franchise is all set to celebrate 20 years of their first film in a grand celebration style by releasing a special reunion feature along with HBO Max on New Year’s Eve titled, "Harry Potter: Return To Hogwarts." HBO Max has recently released the poster for the reunion special featuring Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint, along with other cast members who will be part of the reunion feature.
HBO Max captioned the post, "A moment 20 years in the making. "Harry Potter and the 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is streaming on HBO Max New Year’s Day." A teaser related to "Harry Potter: Return To Hogwarts" was released a few weeks ago, starting with a visual of the Hogwarts clock tower. In the trailer, the audience could witness a shot of the Daily Prophet, the headline of which read, "Hogwarts Welcomes Back Alumni." Emma Watson starred in the final shot of the promo as she walked down platform 9 3/4 with the Hogwarts Express waiting. However, the actress's face was not revealed, but the trailer managed to create a buzz among the people.
Emma Watson took to her social media to share the news with the world, "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. 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. 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".
But if we think about the series of seven fantasy novels, do we know why it is so popular among the audience and how much "Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts" means to them?
Harry Potter is one of the most popular media franchises in history that has managed to capture the attention of not only children but also young adults who have grown up reading the series and watching the movies.
The success of the franchise lies in the fact that when the series (books or movies) came out, it created a world for the people that had never existed, and the idea of getting involved in that enticed the audience. The Harry Potter series made the audience believe that everyone could be a wizard and, on their 11th birthday, they’d be getting a Hogwarts attendance letter. That was enough to attract the audience.
What also attracted the audience was the entire ambiance of Hogwarts; the heritage, secret corridors, moving staircases, glamorous balls, robes, and endless feasts. All these have only existed in people’s imaginations, and with series and movies coming out and depicting or narrating these magical things for the audience, it was enough to keep them hooked.
Harry Potter helped the generation to learn values like friendship, humility, and bravery. The books by J.K. Rowling were written in a way that readers could imagine themselves in the world as she kept everything in detail, right from their clothing choices to costumes to descriptions of the characters. (Harry’s lightning-shaped scar from his broken glasses). The hidden plot secrets in the books or movies kept the audience hooked and asking for more.
When individuals grow up, they usually grow out of things, but it is not the case with Harry Potter, as the people who grew up watching the movies are excited about the reunion episode the same way they were excited when the movie came out. The series was written with a dose of dark themes, which led to the older audience getting intrigued with the plot. Even though set in a world full of imagination and fiction, there were links to the real world as well, which made the books and movies look more relatable and not completely off sync.
J.K. Rowling sure wrote fantasy novels that involved wizards, spells, and so much more secrecy, but the core of it was also humanity. The plot of the series and the movies focuses on the importance of trusting both your instincts and the ones in your inner circle.
J.K. Rowling’s famous "Harry Potter" series has various plot points that describe her milestones and, by channelizing the same, she has shed light on her experience with depression. Writing about that, she focused on one thing: if everything around you feels dark, focus on positive thoughts and happy memories and try to overcome the dark phase. Proving that the series and movies were way ahead of their time, Rowling has confirmed that Hogwarts' headmaster is homosexual, and confirming the same was an important step toward the visibility the LGBTQ community is still fighting for. It should be noted that Dumbledore was not defined by his sexuality.
There might be so many things that the audience does not know about the movie or series yet, so the New Year’s special episode is going to help the audience find out those little secrets, inside jokes, and how the series has managed to help them bond and affect their lives as well.