Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts Premiere Live Updates: The special episode is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. (Photo: HBO Max)Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is all set to stream on Amazon Prime Video in India. As the title suggests, the reunion episode celebrates the 20 year anniversary of the first film in the Harry Potter film franchise.
The episode will bring together major cast members including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Mark Williams, Helena Bonham Carter, Gary Oldman, Robbie Coltrane, Jason Isaacs, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch and Ralph Fiennes.
Producer David Heyman and directors Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates will also be a part of the episode.
Even though the main franchise ended in 2011 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, fans remain passionate about the Wizarding World. This is despite the middling reception that the Fantastic Beasts spinoffs have received.
The series followed the adventures of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Harry’s parents were killed by the dark wizard Voldemort when he was a baby. The child was believed to be the only one who could defeat Voldemort. At the age of 11, he enrolls at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where most of the books and films are set. As he grows older, Harry and his friends face the forces of evil together, and vanquish the Dark Lord.
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Emma Watson said she would come and look for his number on the call sheet, but she knew that for him that she would always be his 'little sister'. Tom Felton said that he felt protective of her, and he's always had a soft corner for her. Emma emphasised that nothing has ever happened romantically between the two of them, but they 'just love each other'
Emma Watson said she was 'miserable' during the Yule Ball scene as she said that there were a 'million' instructions about how to walk in the dress
It was quite the hunt to find a suitable Harry for the film series! Hundreds and thousands of children had lined up to be Harry. However, Chris Columbus, who directed the first two films, had zeroed in on Daniel Radcliffe after watching him in BBC's David Copperfield. But he was told it would be quite a task to get him, as Daniel's parents were completely against him entering any film.
Tom Felton has been sharing several throwback videos in the run-up to the reunion special. While one highlighted Emma Watson's competitiveness, another dispelled rumours that he and Daniel Radcliffe weren't friends off-screen as well.
The episode is out now on Amazon Prime.
Apart from the books, most of us looked forward to the Harry Potter film adaptations as well, as we longed to see how the magic would translate on-screen. Well, did it? Well yes, and no. It’s understandable that films add their own twists here and there, or interpret something differently as compared to how we imagined it. There is obviously more action than what we read, for instance Harry doesn’t fly around with the dragon, thrashing around the castle as shown in the film, but we don’t mind that.
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As fans mark the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first film adaptation of JK Rowling’s popular series, here’s introducing you to the Indian cousin of the magical series — Aabra Ka Dabra.
The 2004 film starred Athit Naik in the lead role as the young magician, Potter if you will, while Hansika Motwane played his bestie, a desi Hermione of sorts. Said to be the first 3D plus film in India, it also starred Shweta Tiwari, Anupam Kher, Satish Kaushik, Archana Puran Singh, Johnny Lever and also had Prabhudeva performing on a song. Directed by Dheeraj Kumar, the music of Aabra Ka Dabra, with eight tracks, is credited to Himesh Reshammiya.
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One name that is curiously missing in Harry Potter reunion promos of the special is JK Rowling, the author of the Potter books and the progenitor of the Wizarding World franchise. It was previously thought that the studio wanted to avoid controversy over Rowling’s alleged transphobic comments and that is why she is missing from the show.
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Harry Potter Reunion teases more such conversations, including tidbits and revelations about the films and shooting, and if it is anything like the recent Friends: The Reunion, we can also expect loads of nostalgia over a cinematic and literary phenomenon that took over the world.
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The first reviews suggest that Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will be a two-hour nostalgia ride for fans but might feel a little too indulgent.
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The one-minute video showed Felton and Watson engaged in a competitive game of ‘slap hand’. Radcliffe popped in to remark how seriously Watson was taking the game. “She will not lose,” he said. The moment was seemingly captured while the young actors were filming the first Quidditch lesson sequence in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Watch the video here
The Harry Potter movies are one of the best-known book-to-movie adaptations but true Potterheads know that even though the films have filled them with joy and sorrow, there were some moments that weren’t as aptly translated and some that were completely skipped in trying to make Hollywood blockbusters. Dumbledore yelling, “Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?” is the stuff of legends now but book readers will know that this doesn’t even scratch the surface of how movies skipped significant plot points that affected character arcs. At times, they did not even make much sense to those who were just watching the movies, without reading the books.
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As the Harry Potter film cast gets together for a reunion, millions of fans across the world will also get transported to Hogwarts to relive the journey.
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To celebrate the anniversary and the reunion, let's rank the Harry Potter movies. Note that while we love all these movies, some were clearly better than others. We have not included Fantastic Beasts franchise. Read our ranking here.
Wondering what your favourite Harry Potter stars, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint are doing now? It has been a long wait to see them all in the same frame, so here’s a look at what the younger cast of the movies has been up to.
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