The Harry Potter franchise has had a significant impact on entire generations from all around the world, as the young children who grew up with the films are now full-grown adults. To start off the new year, HBO Max released a celebration of the series on the 20th anniversary of the franchise’s first theatrical release. “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Special: Return to Hogwarts” gathers many of the core members from both cast and crew from all of the films as they dive into the creation of the iconic wizarding world of Harry Potter. The special has a nearly two-hour runtime and closely follows the production, reception and relationships formed between those involved over the years.
The special begins with a select few cast members shown hanging around random places such as Emma Watson at a second-hand book shop and Matthew Lewis talking to a cab driver when they “find” the iconic Hogwarts invitation letter. Then, the original Hogwarts halls and rooms are shown as the cast is reunited for big hugs and bright smiles. The special follows a loose chronological order through the films, dividing up seemingly by directors as the core cast narrates the experience of making these films from start to finish. At the center of course is the legendary trio of Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and “the boy who lived” Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter). All three are now in their early 30s, which was surreal for audiences considering they started playing these characters at around 10 years old.
While much of the special is not revealing groundbreaking information or secrets about those involved, it does offer an incredible amount of heartwarming interactions and discussions from those involved, not to mention endless nostalgia for any long-time Harry Potter fan. It was fascinating to see just how extraneous the casting process was for the first film, with a decent portion of the beginning dedicated to showing audition footage from the trio and commentary from film producers. The footage really put into perspective just how much effort and attention to detail was placed into every element of the filmmaking process, showing how perfect the eventual casting really was, so much so that they even reference the fact that Watson, Grint, and Radcliffe very much were Hermione, Ron and Harry from the get-go.
It was also interesting to see how the filmmaking approach changed from director to director while still maintaining the series quality and continuity. Each director offered their own experience with the cast and what their vision for the films they created was. You can see how the tone and darkness slowly increase as the characters grow from the whimsical child-like feeling of “The Sorcerer’s Stone” all the way to young adults in the dark and dramatic finale in the “Deathly Hallows.” The special also offers an interesting insight into the more technical sides of the production process such as set design, cinematography, costume/make-up and the use of both visual and practical effects. While not discussed at great length, it was awesome to see how the filmmakers approached adapting the novels and were able to do so so masterfully.
Despite all the fantastical elements of the stories, the Harry Potter films are coming-of-age films. This is something that each director took into careful consideration and Watson, Grint and Radcliffe discussed at length in scenes where the three were reunited in the Gryffindor common room. The trio discusses the time they spent together, shared experiences and moments that stuck with them over the years. They also show extreme humility and gratefulness to the fans, showing not only that they are who the films are for but that they understand how important these films are for so many people of all ages. Watson briefly discusses her feelings of loneliness and the hardships of fame from when she almost decided to quit halfway through the series. This engaging and meaningful segment makes for some of the most captivating and interesting content in the entire special.
As they moved through the films, we also saw entertaining and heartwarming interviews, reunions and cameos from secondary cast members such as Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) and more. While some had more significant appearances than others, seeing so many of these actors reunited and talking about their roles in the films was spectacular. It also revealed some of the unexpectedly close relationships between certain cast members such as Radcliffe and Carter or Watson and Felton. These interactions were extremely fascinating to see as fans would probably not expect these actors to be as close as they are in real life. The way they express their love and admiration for each other is magically wholesome.
These moments and more are what really makes the special worth watching. Through interviews and discussion, you can see that every single cast and crew member was fully invested in the franchise, the source material and showed a passion that is rarely found in the film industry today. You also see how the main members grew together over the years, creating a family-like bond in the process. Despite its lengthy runtime, any hardcore Harry Potter fan is sure to love every second of “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Special: Return to Hogwarts,” a joyous and heartwarming reunion of one of the most successful franchises in cinematic history.