In 2022, the Harry Potter cast made fans’ dreams come true by reuniting onscreen one more time for the HBO Max special Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. In the special fan favorites Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint made a return to the iconic Hogwarts set where they also chatted with the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, and the late Robbie Coltrane.
And while there is some talk of rebooting the Harry Potter franchise (an idea that some Potterheads are against), what fans really want to know is how well the cast has stayed in touch all these years.
After Years Of Working Together, They’ve Become A Family
Especially for Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson, Harry Potter came into their lives during their formative years. And working on the franchise’s eight movies continuously meant that the cast spent more time together than with anyone else.
For Grint, the franchise was his childhood. “I didn’t go to school; I lost touch with a lot of old friends. I missed out on a lot of shared experiences,” the actor pointed out.
Growing up in the Harry Potter films, he also saw the older cast members as family. “Not parents, but uncles or grandparents,” he explained. “They all had this kind of subconscious presence in my life.”
Similarly, Watson also once said that Grint and Radcliffe have somewhat become her “siblings” after working together for so long.
As for Radcliffe, the franchise’s titular star also believes that his former cast mates helped him become the actor that he is today. “There are people on these films that are foundational to who I am, as a person, as an actor,” Radcliffe said in the special.
“I feel so lucky to be where I am and to have the life that I have and be able to work with people I work with now. But none of it is possible without this. So yeah, it was a very good 10 years.”
Are The Harry Potter Cast Still In Touch After All These Years?
Having such busy careers after Harry Potter has made in-person reunions challenging for the cast. Since working on the 2011 film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, everyone has been busy with their own projects. And sometimes, they only get to see each other by chance.
That said, it seems Felton and Watson have been able to see each other a bit more often since the former co-stars live close to each other.
“It's always nice to bump into [Emma], see her at the beach or over dinner, or whatever,” Felton even once told MailOnline. Meanwhile, Watson also confirmed that she and Felton “speak most weeks.”
At the same time, Harry Potter stars have posted photos of reunions over the years. For instance, Watson, Felton, Wright, Lynch, and Lewis hung out over the holidays back in 2019. And while fans loved seeing the former co-stars together, Radcliffe and Grint were noticeably absent.
And while they’re not always together, the group has also found another way to keep in touch. Over the years, it’s been revealed that they’re all part of a WhatsApp group chat and more recently, Felton revealed that it’s known as “The Potterheads.”
Meanwhile, Watson also once told Entertainment Tonight that she used the group chat to invite everyone to a screening of one of her films.
For Grint, being able to stay in touch means a lot even today. “We’re still trying to figure out what life looks like on the other side of this massive cultural thing,” he said. That said, getting everyone to respond on chat regularly may also be a little challenging since several cast members are not fond of keeping communication lines open.
“They both hate WhatsApp and their phones in general,” Watson revealed. “Actually, as a three, we really try and stay off electronics so that doesn’t help for a massive amount of back and forth.”
Would Everyone Return For A Harry Potter Reboot?
Even before Warner Bros. Discovery mentioned the possibility of doing another Harry Potter movie, there has been some talk of reviving the franchise one way or another. For instance, there were supposed plans to do a movie adaptation of the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Regardless of what happens next, however, it seems Radcliffe is keener to stay away from the franchise moving forward.
“This isn’t the answer that anybody’s going to want, but I think I was so able to go back and enjoy it because it’s not a part of my day-to-day life anymore,” the actor told The New York Times while promoting The Lost City with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.
“I’m getting to a point where I feel like I made it out of Potter OK and I’m really happy with where I am now, and to go back would be such a massive change to my life.”
That said, Radcliffe isn’t ruling out a return completely. “I’m never going to say never, but the Star Wars guys had like 30, 40 years before they went back. For me, it’s only been 10,” he pointed out. “It’s not something I’m really interested in doing right now.”
As for Grint, the actor admitted that it might “be nice to” move on from playing Ron Weasley if someone else were to take over the role for him.
