There are few franchises that have had the vast cultural impact of Harry Potter. And aside from the beloved novels, the eight-film franchise is consistently re-watched by the generations of fans. And in honor of the anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the cast and crew filmed a reunion for HBO Max. As you can see above, the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts trailer is full of magical reunions... and I'm bringing tissues.
The above video comes to us from HBO Max's official YouTube page, and is sure to go viral in a short time. We open on none other than Harry Potter himself, the 32 year-old actor Daniel Radcliffe. He walks down Diagon Alley in the winter, before the clip pivots focus to Emma Watson. From there, the Hermione icon makes her way to the Hogwarts Express with a nostalgic smile on her face.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will mark the first time the full cast of the film franchise has been able to be in one place since The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was released back in 2011. We see Emma Watson and Draco actor Tom Felton embracing, which is when the tears started really welling up for me.
From there, a number of beloved Hogwarts students appear briefly on screen, as Daniel Radcliffe explains his complicated feelings about aging as the Boy Who Lived. Familiar faces include Matthew Lewis and Evanna Lynch, who played Neville and Luna respectively. The cast is assembled in Hogwarts' Great Hall, which makes the trailer for Return to Hogwarts all the more thrilling.
The exact formatting of Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is currently a mystery, but it looks like we'll see a variety of interview pairings. During this time actors like Helena Bohnman and Ralph Fiennes are able to reflect on their time in the iconic franchise, accompanied with clips from the eight beloved movies.
Of course, Return to Hogwarts will likely encourage fan theories and hopes about another possible Harry Potter reunion. The generations of Potterheads out there are all collectively crossing their fingers that the movie cast could star in a film adaptation of the Cursed Child plays. The stage production focuses Harry and Draco's friends, while featuring the adult version of the beloved original heroes.
Unfortunately, it's unclear if the actors would reprise their roles in such a way. Regardless, fans will be thrilled (and likely a bit emotional) about the upcoming release of Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. Especially since the mysterious project is dropping so soon.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will arrive on HBO Max on January 1st. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
