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Years after the Harry Potter franchise released its final film, the fandom for the wizarding world remains strong. And while Warner Bros. followed this up with the Fantastic Beasts franchise, many would argue that it’s still not the same, especially when the prequel films haven’t been as well-received as the original.In recent years, there has also been a lot of talk about doing a Harry Potter reboot (fans have even suggested a follow-up movie when Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry is already in his 40s). At the moment, however, nothing is certain.That said, Matthew Lewis, who famously, played young wizard Neville Longbottom, seems to have mixed feelings about reprising his role. That said, perhaps he’ll only do it for the right price.
Matthew Lewis Was Only Hoping For A ‘Walk On Part’ In Harry Potter
Having been acting professionally since he was 5, Lewis was used to doing auditions by the time the casting team of Harry Potter rolled into his town. Still, he decided to be realistic, knowing that thousands of people would be interested to get the part. And so, he came in with low expectations.
“It was an open audition at the Queens Hotel in Leeds. I just wanted to be involved in some way and hoped I may be lucky enough to get a walk on part,” Lewis recalled. “Usually when auditioning for TV you hear within a couple of days if you’re successful, so when the call didn’t come through I thought ‘better luck next time.’”
Two months later, however, the actor did hear back. It was then that Lewis was asked to go to London to meet with director Christopher Columbus. He was also thrilled when he learned that they were asking him to audition for the character of Neville.
“It was exciting stuff! I knew all about Neville, as I’d read the books,” Lewis said. “So I went for the audition and I got the part.”
Matthew Has Moved On Since The Final Harry Potter Film
Lewis’s Neville would go on to become one of the most recognizable characters in the Harry Potter movies. He’s also among those who stayed on until the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Since then, however, Lewis has turned his attention elsewhere.
Shortly after, Lewis joined the cast of the British comedy The Syndicate. He also later starred with Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin in the romantic drama Me Before You where he played Clarke’s boyfriend. More recently, Lewis also landed a major role in the British series All Creatures Great and Small.
And while Lewis wasn’t sure if he could pull off the character of aristocrat Hugh Hulton in the series. Director Brian Percival, who is known for his work on Downton Abbey, however, knew the actor was perfect from the beginning.
“I like to cast actors who can relate in some real and tangible way to the characters they are playing,” Percival explained. “Hugh needs to have an air of natural confidence that is born of privilege, and Matthew achieved that incredibly well.”
Lewis Isn't Keen On Returning To Play Neville
The answer to this question is rather complicated. On the one hand, it does seem like Lewis has already moved on from the franchise. “I can't confess to having given it any serious thought. I don't know... I don't have a desire to do it, let's put it that way,” the actor even said in an interview recently.
However, Lewis also wouldn’t necessarily turn down a paycheck. “Like there's obviously many, many factors when it comes to whether you're gonna take a job or not... I mean, let's be honest,” he explained. “We can claim to be artists all day long, but we're just professionals. And if the money's right, we'll probably do a lot of things.”
That said, if Lewis is ever going to use a wand again, it will come with some conditions. “In terms of wanting to go back to that character, I would genuinely have to say...this is me speculating...if they did hypothetically, I would have to read...,” the actor explained. “I would have to read everything...”
Is Neville Longbottom Going To Make A Return To The Big Screen?
At the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Neville survives the Battle of Hogwarts. In the book, he also later returns to Hogwarts where he becomes a Herbology professor, so it would certainly make sense to include the character should a follow-up to Deathly Hallows happen.
That said, Lewis is well aware that any talk of a Harry Potter series is more speculation than anything else. “It’s probably b*******. I'm pretty sure it's b*******,” he remarked. That said, he does understand why rumors like this spread quickly. “It's big news. It's global. It's everywhere,” Lewis said. “It's viral because it's Harry Potter.”
Meanwhile, All Creatures Great and Small has already been renewed for two more seasons. However, it is unclear if Lewis will return.
