The saga is set to begin again with a new cast.
Daniel Radcliffe has said it would be “weird” for him to make a cameo appearance in the upcoming Harry Potter reboot, which is headed to US streaming service Max.
The series will recast the iconic roles of the Wizarding world, with fans hoping the longer runtime will allow for a more comprehensive adaptation than the Harry Potter film series, which omitted some elements of JK Rowling’s novels.
In an interview with Deadline, Radcliffe said he was happy to pass the baton to a new generation of actors, seemingly ruling out the possibility of getting involved in the reimagining.
“Certainly, from everything I’ve read about the series they’re going to be starting fresh, and so it’d probably be weird to have me pop in,” he explained.
“I think Harry Potter was always destined to become like Sherlock Holmes… so it’ll get passed on. The weird thought I have is that there’s probably an eight-year-old kid out there somewhere whose life is going to change in a couple of years. My brain does go there.”
Of course, Radcliffe became an overnight superstar following the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, but has recently focused his efforts on smaller, independent projects – including acclaimed spoof biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
He concluded: “The films continuing – or the series, in this case – was inevitable… It’s nice to pass it on to someone else.”
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The first attempt by Warner Bros to continue the Harry Potter franchise was something of a misstep, with the Fantastic Beasts trilogy earning mixed reviews from critics and declining at the box office with each entry.
Going back to the original, much-loved source material is hoped to be a course-correct, with creator Rowling adding she is “looking forward to being part of this new adaptation”.
The Harry Potter films are available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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