Harry Potter fans were delighted at the beginning of 2022 when the original Harry Potter cast reunited for the anniversary special feature Return to Hogwarts. Seeing the golden trio—Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint—together in the Gryffindor common room again has prompted fans to ask whether a reboot of the original franchise will ever happen.
Of course, fans will settle for no less than seeing the original actors reprising their roles, most likely as future versions of their famous characters. Some fans would reportedly like to see Harry as a “divorced and depressed middle-aged auror”.
While most of the cast has shared how much they loved being in the franchise and said yes to returning if the time was right, Watson will reportedly only return to reprise her role as Hermione on one condition.
Would Emma Watson Ever Return To The Harry Potter Franchise?
Pop culture website Giant Freakin Robot has claimed that Emma Watson will only return to be part of the franchise in an official capacity on one condition: if Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling will not be part of the franchise in any way.
J.K. Rowling came under fire in 2020 when she commented on gender identity on Twitter. Her comments were widely seen as transphobic and harmful to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
The author responded to an op-ed she retweeted; the article was titled “Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate”. As she retweeted the op-ed, Rowling wrote, “'People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
When Twitter users blasted her words as transphobic, Rowling responded in support of “sex is real” ideology.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased,” she wrote. “I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”
Rowling went on, “The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense.”
She added that she respects “every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them” before stating that her “life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”
The author has never retracted the comments, continuing to share her views about gender identity on social media. In response, the LGBTQIA+ community has continued to criticize her viewpoint as harmful.
Where Does Emma Watson Stand With J.K. Rowling?
The relationship between Emma Watson and J.K. Rowling seemed to be strong and positive during the years the Harry Potter franchise was in production, and in the years following. But when Rowling made her initial comments in 2020 about gender identity, Watson, along with her Harry Potter co-stars, seemed to publicly condemn the author’s views.
“Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are,” Watson commented in 2020.
Meanwhile, Daniel Radcliffe also penned a blog post, published by The Trevor Project in July 2020, where he spoke out against the author:
“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter.”
J.K. Rowling was notably absent from the reunion special Return to Hogwarts, which aired in 2022.
How Emma Watson Felt About Return To Hogwarts
While Emma Watson may not wish to return to reprise her role as Hermione if J.K. Rowling is involved with the Harry Potter franchise at all, she was happy to reunite with her old cast mates for Return to Hogwarts.
“It was emotional and also intense to have such an intimate moment so closely watched,” Watson told Vogue about what it was like to sit with Radcliffe and Grint in the Gryffindor common room again.
“Mostly I was just so happy to have a mediator who could ask us these questions and get to be part of seeing how differently – and similarly – we had processed things. I love that we remembered different things.”
