The Wizarding World has been a powerful force in the entertainment industry for decades. What started with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels grew to movies, theme parks, and even Broadway plays. The cast of the eight-film franchise recently reunited for a 20th Anniversary special HBO Max, and one special comment is giving fans all the feels.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts premiered on New Year’s Day, and featured the stellar cast of actors reflecting on their time in the Wizarding World. This includes Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in all eight movies. He looked back on his character's legacy in an emotional way, quickly going viral on Twitter as a result. You can see the video for yourself below.
“ I’ll not be here, sadly. but…But Hagrid will. Yes. ”#RETURNTOHOGWARTS #HARRYPOTTER20THANNIVERSARY pic.twitter.com/VzyqUvVKhOJanuary 1, 2022
I’m not crying, you’re crying. Robbie Coltrane is currently 71 years-old, and therefore seems to have a unique perspective on how his performance as Hagrid in Harry Potter will live on for years to come. This reflection definitely touched the countless Potterheads out there, who took to social media to share their feelings.
Robbie Coltrane has had a long and successful career, including a number of appearances in the James Bond franchise throughout Pierce Brosnan’s run. But his name will likely always be synonymous with Harry Potter and Hagrid, which he seems pleased about. And this type of perspective has definitely made fans emotional, with GIFs and memes starting to roll in shortly after Return to Hogwarts premiered. As you can see below,
“I won’t be here in 50 years but Hagrid will be’ #HarryPotterReturnToHogwarts pic.twitter.com/204Ro0gqkbJanuary 3, 2022
It’s unclear if Jenna Fischer is a big fan of Harry Potter, but this GIF from The Office sums up the way many of us were feeling after Robbie Coltrane’s sweet comments on Hagrid’s legacy. While characters like his seem immortal, that’s not the case in real life. In fact, we’ve already lost a number of members from the Hogwarts family in the years since the franchise ended with Deathly Hallows- Part 2. The reunion special has an “in memoriam” section that honors late actors like Alan Rickman, which may be part of why fans are reacting so strongly to Coltrane’s comments. Another funny response on Twitter includes:
When Robbie Coltrane said “I won’t be around in 50 years but hagrid will be” #HarryPotter20thAnniversary pic.twitter.com/75wHXSCZnyJanuary 2, 2022
As previously mentioned, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts debuted on New Year’s Day. This can already be an emotional time for some, especially those of us reflecting on the last 365 days. And for those Potter fans who woke up to watch the new special, Coltrane’s words provided the first cry of 2022. As one fan posted,
If you had told me 20 years ago that my first tears of 2022 would be shed about Hagrid...oh who am I kidding. Id believe you. #BetterOutThanIn pic.twitter.com/xkFiDBdI41January 2, 2022
One thing is clear: Harry Potter means a great deal to the generations of fans out there. But Return to Hogwarts also proved that even the stars of the movies feel the same way, including the great Robbie Coltrane. It’s likely for this reason that the Wizarding World will continue to capture the attention of the general public for the foreseeable future.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is streaming now, and the franchise will return to theaters with Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore on April 15th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
