Daniel Radcliffe says the upcoming HBO television adaptation of the Harry Potter books has stirred a wave of nostalgia and emotion for the original cast, who are watching a new generation step into the Wizarding World.
The new series, currently in production, will adapt each of J. K. Rowling’s seven novels into individual seasons. It features a fresh trio of young actors – Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton – taking on the iconic roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger as they begin their journey at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry in the blockbuster film franchise from 2001 to 2011, expressed, “how surreal [it is] to watch people starting off on that journey, all those years later.”
He revealed he has been in touch with former co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as the reboot takes shape.
Reflecting on their shared experience, Radcliffe said they have discussed how strange it feels to watch others begin the same journey they started more than two decades ago. While the trio have not had extensive conversations specifically about the series, he noted they share a mutual understanding of the emotions involved.
“It’s one of those where I think we all just know how the others feel, because we’re also feeling it,” he says. “You just see the pictures of these kids, and you just want to grab them and hug them. That’s the impulse that I think that we, mainly, all have.”