There was something very comforting about recollecting fond childhood memories on a cold evening with the beloved cast of the Harry Potter film series.
The stars of the phenomenally successful movies, based on best-selling books by British author JK Rowling, came together to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the first film - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The HBO Max special reunion episode, titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, streamed on Amazon Prime in India on January 1.
The 102-minutes-long episode brought together the main trio -- Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) -- as well as their friends (and foes) from the magical world envisioned by Rowling.
In the reunion, the main characters reflected on being cast into the spotlight at a very young age -- they were barely 12 when they were picked for the roles that would define their careers.
The three actors also spoke about the bond they came to develop while working on the movie franchise that lasted from 2001 to 2011.
In one of the most moving moments in the episode, Grint tells Watson: “We grew up together. We are family. We will always be.”
Towards the end of the episode, a visibly emotional Radcliffe said, “There are people in these films that are foundational to who I am.”
The stars of the movie also remembered the colleagues that they lost -- Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Richard Harris (who played Albus Dumbledore in films one and two), Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy) and many others.
In lighter moments of the reunion special, the stars talked about being attracted to their co-actors. It is revealed that Radcliffe wrote a note to Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) during filming, saying that he wished he was old enough to date her.
Watson confessed to falling in love with Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) but said nothing ever happened romantically between them.
The episode packs in laughs, emotion and nostalgia in 100 minutes. A bonus is behind-the-scenes footage, including the emotional last day of filming. This is a reunion you do not want to miss.
Pro-tip: keep some tissues handy.
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