If you didn’t get a chance to catch the dazzling stage show “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” when it was last in San Francisco — before getting COVID-canceled in March 2020 — well, it’s back.
But the “Cursed Child” now playing in previews at The Curran is significantly different than the version that was playing two years ago at the stately Geary Street theater. The main thing is it is no longer a two-part 5-plus-hour affair, which fans could enjoy in marathon style on a single day or split up over two days. It’s now a newly-staged single-performance show running about 3½ hours.
But, as the New York Times wrote of the new version of “Cursed Child” when it opened on Broadway late last year, “it remains diamond-sharp in its staging and dazzling in its visual imagination, as magical as any spell or potion.”
And the story line — created by Potter author J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany — is pretty much the same. The action returns to Hogwarts 19 years after the books and movies left off, and Harry Potter’s son is a student at the legendary wizarding school.
Details: In previews through Feb. 10; main run is Feb. 10-Sept. 4; check websites for COVID updates; $79-$299 (subject to change); sfcurran.com or sf.harrypottertheplay.com.
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J.K. Rowling was nearly homeless when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Stephen King penned Carrie on a small desk wedged between a washer and dryer. James Patterson worked in advertising and famously wrote the Toys “R” Us theme song long before becoming an author.
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The Harry Potterreunion special on HBO Max, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, is a thrill for Potter fans of all ages, as the cast and crew of the legendary film series reunite to celebrate 20 years since the release of the first film and the franchise they called home for over a decade of their lives.
“There are people on these films that are foundational to who I am, as a person and an actor,” marvels star Daniel Radcliffe in the special, fighting back tears. “I feel so lucky to be where I am, and to have the life that I have and be able to work with the people that I work with now, but none of it is possible without this. It was a very good 10 years.”
However, while it’s wonderful to see so many familiar faces return for the two-hour special, the actors and creative team behind the films also take a moment to pay tribute to the cast and crew members that have passed away in the years since their release.
“It’s obviously amazing to be back, but it’s so shocking that so many people that we thought would be around for much longer than they have been [aren’t here],” notes Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the eight-film series.
“They’re like family,” agrees Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley. “You grieve in the same way.”
“I feel really lucky to have some little bit of touch with the amount of so many amazing people that have passed,” Radcliffe adds. “I’ll be very, very old one day saying, ‘I knew that absolute legend.'”
One of those legends is, of course, Alan Rickman, who starred in the franchise as the adversarial Potions professor, Severus Snape. Rickman died in London on Jan. 14, 2016, after a private battle with cancer, and his loss was mourned worldwide by his friends, fans and co-stars.
“Alan Rickman never talked to me like I was a child,” Watson recalls in the special. “He always took my thoughts and opinions very seriously, which I was always very touched by.”
“Alan was a very dear friend,” recalls Ralph Fiennes, who starred in the Potter franchise as the villainous Lord Voldemort. “I was a little intimidated by him. His precision, his expert delivery of lines. We sort of went toe-to-toe in a funny way, with Snape and Voldemort. Two actors can relish metaphorically fencing with one another like that. Alan was a magician in that way, as an actor.”
Like Rickman, Richard Harris had a storied career before taking on hisHarry Potter role, but his portrayal of the wise and kind Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, introduced him to a whole new generation of fans.
“Richard Harris was such a special, warm person,” Watson recalls. “He was so twinkly.”
Sadly, Potter fans only got to see two films with Harris’ Dumbledore, as the actor and musician died on Oct. 25, 2002, after a brief battle with Hodgkin’s disease, shortly before the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
“Richard was classic, probably one of the funniest men I’ve ever met,” says director Chris Columbus, who directed Harris in the first two Potter films. In the special, Columbus and Radcliffe also take a moment to recall one of their favorite Harris memories, noting that the legendary actor was under the impression that Dumbledore’s pet phoenix, Fawkes, was being played by a real bird and not an impressively-realistic animatronic.
“He was this devilish 11-year-old trapped in a 70-plus-year-old man’s body,” Columbus adds of Harris. “He just had that glint in his eye, which made him the perfect Dumbledore.”
In one of the special most emotional moments, Tom Felton and Jason Isaacs take a moment to remember the Potter cast’s most recent loss, Helen McCrory, who starred as the Malfoy family matriarch, Narcissa. McCrory died on April 16, 2021, after a battle with breast cancer, and her loss is clearly still fresh for her on-screen family.
“She taught me a lot,” Felton shares, fighting back tears. “She had this ability to show such empathy in her eyes. It was a real treat to work with her.”
Isaacs, who starred as Lucius Malfoy, recalls his impression of McCrory the first time they worked together: “I said, ‘I think I’ve just met the best actress I’ve ever seen in my life.'”
“I feel lucky to have worked with her,” he adds, “and shared so much frankly adolescent laughter with her on the set.”
A moving tribute on screen also recognizes the behind-the-scenes crew members and lesser-known cast who have passed in the years since the films’ release, including Richard Griffiths, who producer David Heyman remembers was “just delicious as Mr. Dursley… He embraced his wickedness with such verve and passion.”
“His passing was the one that affected me most,” Radcliffe admits. “He was just so generous with his knowledge, wanted to share everything with you.”
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is streaming now on HBO Max.
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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.
If you didn’t get a chance to catch the dazzling stage show “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” when it was last in San Francisco — before getting COVID-canceled in March 2020 — well, it’s back.
But the “Cursed Child” now playing in previews at The Curran is significantly different than the version that was playing two years ago at the stately Geary Street theater. The main thing is it is no longer a two-part 5-plus-hour affair, which fans could enjoy in marathon style on a single day or split up over two days. It’s now a newly-staged single-performance show running about 3½ hours.
But, as the New York Times wrote of the new version of “Cursed Child” when it opened on Broadway late last year, “it remains diamond-sharp in its staging and dazzling in its visual imagination, as magical as any spell or potion.”
And the story line — created by Potter author J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany — is pretty much the same. The action returns to Hogwarts 19 years after the books and movies left off, and Harry Potter’s son is a student at the legendary wizarding school.
Details: In previews through Feb. 10; main run is Feb. 10-Sept. 4; check websites for COVID updates; $79-$299 (subject to change); sfcurran.com or sf.harrypottertheplay.com.
One evening a decade ago, Rabbi Nir Yacoby made a discovery that would lead to the birth of a rare Jewish library in the community, at the Shuva Israel Torah Center in Pico-Robertson.
“We are a frum family,” said the Israeli-born Yacoby, a father of eight. “I send my kids to a very religious school. We don’t watch movies and we don’t have a television.”
For those reasons, he was surprised to find Avigail, his oldest, reading Harry Potter.
“This was okay,” he said, “because it had been assigned by her English teacher. Mind you, this is a very religious school.”
On her own, then 13-year-old Avigail went to the public library and borrowed the first Harry Potter book. She found it so interesting, she soon borrowed the second and third books in the series.
Avigail was not alone. Her school friends shared her enthusiasm.
Photo courtesy Rabbi Nir Yacoby
“Before I knew it, she wanted to buy the whole Harry Potter series from Amazon,” Yacoby said, since there would be a waiting list by the time the books reached the library. Next, she wanted to go on the Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios. Then she asked him if she could see the Harry Potter movies.
Meanwhile, books began piling up. The Yacobys built their own home library, but soon, they ran out of room.
“So I told my daughter, ‘Why don’t we find a wall around this city where a rabbi is just going to give us a shelf, and we will put the books there?’” he said.
The task was far more difficult than father and daughter had anticipated. Years went by.
“When I was just a regular member in other communities,” Yacoby said, “I would ask the rabbi, ‘May I borrow a book?’ ‘I’m sorry,’ he would say. ‘They have to stay on the shelf.’”
A little over a year ago, however, things changed. Yacoby entered the virtually unmarked Shuva Israel Torah Center, at the corner of Clark and Pico, for mincha, afternoon prayers.
Two dreams were about to come true.
Yacoby said, “[The] first time I walk in, I see a sign that says ‘Jewish Public Library.’ Rabbi [Shmuel] Laniado had published his vision before there even was a library.”
Then, Yacoby asked Laniado where the library was.
“There wasn’t one, just the idea,” Yacoby said. “So I told Rabbi Laniado, ‘I have the software and I have books, not a lot, maybe two shelves. Let’s do this.’ He and I are both doers. “
Now, Shuva Israel’s library is bursting, and so is Yacoby … with pride. One reason is that Avigail is the head librarian.
The rabbi was sounding like a very proud new father as he surveyed the facing walls of the lengthy, slender walkway.
“In the past year alone, 18,000 books have been checked out.” – Rabbi Nir Yacoby
“We have 3,000 books in the library,” Yacoby said. “In the past year alone, 18,000 have been checked out.That means a book – and each one has a barcode – has changed hands an average of 18 times.”
Reflecting years later on Avigail’s penchant for Harry Potter, Yacoby said, “There is no value in American literature. The value Avigail’s teacher wanted was proper English for her students.”
He said Potter and other English language books for students “are not teaching values, like how to be generous, how to be considerate, how to be giving, how to be loving. In Jewish literature, every book comes with a message.”
To illustrate, Yacoby cited the popular children’s fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling.”
“The ugly duckling was rejected because he was ugly,” said the rabbi. “Then he became a swan, and what happened? Nothing. When you think about it, there is nothing intrinsic in the book. He didn’t learn anything new about himself. He didn’t grow. He didn’t invest in himself. He just let time pass. Now look at our books. Every volume bespeaks a transformation.”
He cited a book in Hebrew titled, coincidentally, “Avigail.” In it, the main character, Avigail, is rejected in her school. Her teacher suggests she create playing cards to make friends. After doing so, Avigail says to another girl, “Let’s play together.” The girl says no and tells her she did not follow the instructions. Avigail realizes the friend is not really rejecting her — she is just rejecting the proposition of playing with the cards.
“Avigail understood she really liked the girl,” said Yacoby. “Her problem had been she was looking at herself. Friends were not rejecting her, but what she was doing. Then she developed a healthy self-esteem. That is phenomenal, [and] a beautiful way of looking at it.”
In the library, sacred volumes are on one side and books specifically for students are on the other, arranged by readers’ ages. The ones for the youngest kids are on the bottom shelves, the ones for the teens are on top.
“[You] know what category interests people the most?” said Yacoby. “Mourning. We have a lot of people who check out books on mourning because they don’t know what it means. How do you deal with death? What does death mean? What does kaddish mean?”
Shuva Israel is a Sephardic shul, but the library crowd is diverse: Ashkenazi, Sephardic, religious and non-religious Jews all gather there. “People come here from as far away as Bakersfield to borrow books,” said Yacoby.
About 600 families have visited the library, according to the rabbi. Shuva Israel is a Sephardic shul, but the library crowd is diverse: Ashkenazi, Sephardic, religious and non-religious Jews all gather there.
“People come here from as far away as Bakersfield to borrow books,” said Yacoby. “They bring shopping bags, too. People can take a book for two weeks, and then renew for another two weeks.”
Smiling, Yacoby said the library was an instant success.
“Within moments [of it opening], kids started showing up each afternoon after school. Don’t credit only Rabbi Laniado and me. It helps that we are so close to Menchie’s.”
Editor’s Note: BuzzFeed does not support discriminatory or hateful speech in any form. We stand by the LGBTQ+ community and all fans who found a home in the Harry Potter series and will work to provide a safe space for fans. If you, like us, feel impassioned about trans rights, learn more or donate here.
The producers of Harry Potter announced that a new installation will be added to the cinematic franchise, despite criticisms against the series’ author, J.K. Rowling.
Public reaction is growing following statements made by Rowling, the creator of one of the most popular series of books in the world, about gay and transgender people. At a time when calls to boycott the franchise are increasing, the producers announced the plans to make a new Harry Potter series. Seemingly taking the backlash into account, it has been announced that members of the LGBTQ+ community and actors from a diverse range of backgrounds will take part in the production, which will start shooting in the U.S. between June and July.
According to the announcements, a transgender actor is expected to portray Harry Potter’s mother Lily in the new project, which is planned as a series to be broadcast over the internet. The latest foray into the world of witchcraft and wizardry will depict the adventures of Harry Potter’s father James, and will feature Asian, African-American, Latino, Middle Eastern, Indian, South Asian and Southeast Asian actors.
Speaking on his Sacred Symbols+ podcast (paywalled on Patreon, transcribed by VGC), Colin Moriarty when his co-host brought the game up in discussion said, “I’m hearing behind the scenes that game is not coming out this year, and that it’s in some sort of trouble.”
While Moriarty didn’t elaborate, the game hasn’t been publicly shown in some time, and currently has no release date beyond 2022.
ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES: Late last year, Rachel Wakely, Warner Bros. general manager spoke to Toy World magazine about the Wizarding World IP, in which she referred to “two major releases in 2022”. The first was the upcoming Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbeldore, she said, which releases in the UK on April 8. The second was Hogwarts Legacy.
“From what we’ve seen, the launch will be well worth the wait and deliver a unique way for fans to interact with the franchise”.
This could suggest that the game isn’t set to release until after Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbeldore.
Hogwarts Legacy will also reportedly add the ability for players to create transgender heroes, following controversy stemming from comments made by series creator J.K. Rowling.
According to a Bloomberg report citing anonymous sources at Warner Bros.’ Avalanche studio, some members of the game’s development have since fought to make the game as inclusive as possible, in response to the author’s comments.
