Wands at the ready Potterheads – things are about to become magical again.
At the strike of midnight, to kick off a magical New Year, be ready to welcome the iconic trio and their amazing crew back for a special reunion, Harry Potter 20th anniversary: Return to Hogwarts on HBO Max. Twenty years since the release of the first movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, it still remains one of the most popular franchises worldwide.
On November 16th, HBO Max released an official teaser about the reunion on Youtube and since then, people have become restless! Although it isn’t a complete reboot or continuation to the epic story, many are still excited to see the legendary cast reunite to reveal some untold secrets about how the eight movies were created. With cast members Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Herimone), Rupert Grint (Ron), Tom Felton (Draco), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Gary Oldman (Sirius), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) and many others, as well as the director of the first two movies, Chris Columbus, HBO Max are“inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.”
Despite being thrilled to see them again, I am a little disappointed it’s just an interview and an exclusive peek into filmmaking. When watching the teaser for the first time, I anticipated a movie or even a TV series about the events following the battle of Hogwarts. Despite it not being what I was expecting, I will still watch it! Since I was eight or nine years old, I was infatuated with the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and could recite the plot without hesitation which is why I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Who knows what secrets the cast have hidden for all these years; on January 1 we can proudly say “the chamber of secrets [have] been opened.”
Not to mention for the last few years, there have been many false reports of a reboot since the series came to an end, all of which were quickly dismissed by Columbus. Many would also argue a reboot wouldn’t be the same without our iconic trio Harry, Hermione and Ron, Alan Rickman (Professor Snape) who passed away in 2016 and Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy) who passed earlier this year.
I’d be one to one to agree, especially knowing how many reboots and tv shows aren’t always accurate and don’t stick to the original plot of the books. Although the Wizarding World franchise has been expanded with the Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them films and we get more insight about the history of magic with them, watching the original eight Harry Potter movies and reading the books by J.K Rowling as I grew up was a memory many in my generation can share. Even people who haven’t watched the movies and have no clue what it’s about know their Hogwart house because the cultural impact was massive to say the least. I still remember when the final movie poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II was released. There was no title, just a date; yet, everyone knew what the poster was referring to because the final film was so highly anticipated and which is why I will still be watching the reunion dressed in my Hogwarts house merch.
Since it was such a large part of our childhoods, many people including myself are just happy to have a tiny portion of magic again. The joy and longing of wanting that Hogwarts letter just doesn’t seem to go away.