Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts: The 5 Biggest Revelations of the Reunion Special
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The post Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts: The 5 Biggest Revelations of the Reunion Special appeared first on Consequence.
While Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts didn’t include any truly earth-shattering revelations, the reunion special now streaming on HBO Max did include plenty of details about what it was like to be a young person growing up in the Wizarding World. It’s a light and often charming look back at both the franchise and its impact — not on the world in general, though, but instead on the people whose lives were tangled up in it for years at a time.
It is also an hour and 43 minutes long, so, if you don’t necessarily feel like committing to the full experience, here are some of the most surprising highlights of the special. The focus here is on the stories that might be totally brand new even to hardcore fans, because believe it or not, there are still some mysteries to be explored when it comes to Harry Potter.
05. As the Cast Grew Up, Their Directors Responded Accordingly
BABIES. Photo courtesy of HBO Max
One of the most interesting thematic threads of the reunion special is how making the series affected all of its young actors, and how important a role each director’s approach played in tracking their development from childhood to late adolescence.
As Daniel Radcliffe and others describe, Chris Columbus (who directed the first two films, Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets) brought a fatherly vibe to his direction of the cast, treating them like regular kids.
But then, with the third film, new director Alfonso Cuaron encouraged them to be teenagers, something that was reflected in many ways in Prisoner of Azkaban, but perhaps most noticeably by emphasizing more casual wardrobe choices. Following Cuaron, Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell came in and not only brought new energy to the series, but “treated us like adults,” as cast members Matthew Lewis and Alfred Enoch described.
While the experience of making these films was tough at times, the actors involved seemed very appreciative of being able to grow up along with their characters. Ultimately, the biggest surprise is that they were able to be kids, for as long as they were.
04. Jason Isaacs Wanted to Play Gilderoy Lockhart
Jason Isaacs in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
As Lucius Malfoy, Jason Isaacs stands out as perhaps one of the most important baddies of the Harry Potter world, but it wasn’t the role he originally wanted to play. As he describes in the special, he initially went in to audition for the role of the vain and incompetent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher featured in Chamber of Secrets.
When asked to audition for Malfoy, Isaacs says that he wasn’t thrilled about being asked to play another evil father after having just done P.J. Hogan’s Peter Pan (in which he’d played the dual roles of Captain Hook and George Darling). But that angry and bitter energy ended up being exactly what he needed to land what would be a much more significant role to the franchise.
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03. Mike Newell Cracked a Rib (or Two) Wrestling With the Weasley Twins
During the filming of Goblet of Fire, Newell wasn’t happy with the way that James and Oliver Phelps, who played the Weasley twins, were fighting with each other in the scene following their attempt to trick the Goblet of Fire with an aging potion. So, as all three parties involved tell it (and backed up by behind-the-scenes production footage), Newell decided to personally demonstrate what he was looking for.
James Phelps ended up being the twin wrestling on the ground with his director, a fake skirmish that ended up getting a bit too real when Newell was injured by one bad move. Their story only differs on one key detail: Phelps twins remember it as James breaking one rib, while Newell uses the word ribs, plural. In this case, we’ll go with Newell’s version of the story.
02. Hermoine Had a Crush on Draco
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts (HBO Max)
It almost feels like schoolyard teasing to bring it up, but the biggest surprise of the special is Emma Watson confessing to her one-time adolescent crush on Tom Felton. While they’re both very clear on the fact that nothing romantic actually happened between each other (likely due to the three-year age gap, an eternity for teenagers), their basic affection feels genuine.
“Emma and I have always loved each other,” is Felton’s primary comment on it. May all of us have former co-workers speak of us so fondly.
01. Daniel Radcliffe Made a Pass at Helena Bonham Carter (and She Kept the Proof)
Return to Hogwarts justified its entire existence by not just including Helena Bonham Carter as a key interview subject for the film, but pairing her up with Radcliffe for much of her time on screen. Not only does their cheerful energy together create some of the special’s most charming moments, but it leads to a reminiscence that Radcliffe might very well have regretted a bit.
On camera, Bonham Carter pulls out her phone to share with Radcliffe (one presumes) a photo of the “autograph” he signed for her at one point, making him read out loud the full caption, which included the note, “I do love you and I just wish I’d been born 10 years earlier — I might have been in with a chance.” You can see the Boy Who Lived die just a little bit inside. It’s glorious.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is streaming now on HBO Max.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts: The 5 Biggest Revelations of the Reunion Special
Liz Shannon Miller
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