The legendary cast of Harry Potter is coming back to where the magic started.
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) ― aka the original Hogwarts wizarding trio ― are reuniting for an HBO Max special that will see them recounting their adventures in the Wizarding World from two decades ago.
Titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, the retrospective special will commemorate the franchise’s first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which opened in U.S. theaters exactly 20 years ago today. According to HBO Max, the special will “tell an enchanting making-of story” through “in-depth interviews and cast conversations” that Potterheads have never seen before.
In addition to Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint, the special will also feature filmmaker Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter movies. Several cast members from all eight Harry Potter films will also appear in the reunion, including Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge), 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 (Quirinus Quirrell).
Premiering on HBO Max on New Year’s Day, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.
Tom Ascheim, president of Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics, said in a statement that the special is a “tribute to everyone whose lives were touched” by the inaugural Harry Potter movie — “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.”
“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,” added Casey Patterson of Casey Patterson Entertainment and Pulse Films, who serves as an executive producer on the special. “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.”
Aside from HBO Max, the special also will air on WarnerMedia’s TBS and Cartoon Network in spring 2022 ahead of the theatrical debut of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore in April of the same year.
An exclusive first look at the special will drop during the premiere of bracket-style quiz competition Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses on November 28th at 8 p.m. ET on TBS and Cartoon Network.