Harry Potter Reunion 'Never Going to Happen' Now, Director Says, Amid Cast Divide From JK Rowling

Director Chris Columbus has ruled retired immoderate accidental of Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reuniting arsenic their characters successful the future, owed to the "political stuff" dividing them from franchise creator JK Rowling.

Columbus had antecedently expressed involvement successful reuniting with the Harry Potter trio for a large surface mentation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the deed West End and Broadway signifier amusement that acts arsenic a canonical eighth Harry Potter story.

Set 19 years aft the last Harry Potter book, it features an big Harry, Ron and Hermione — astir the aforesaid property that Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are now. However, contempt antecedently hoping the archetypal formed mightiness instrumentality for a movie adaptation, Columbus has admitted the thought was present "never going to happen."

"It's ne'er going to happen," Columbus told The Times. "It’s gotten truthful analyzable with each the governmental stuff. Everyone successful the formed has their ain opinion, which is antithetic from her opinion, which makes it impossible.

"I haven't spoken to [JK] Rowling successful a decennary oregon so," helium continued, "so I person nary thought what's going connected with her, but I support precise adjacent interaction with Daniel Radcliffe and I conscionable spoke to him a fewer days ago. I inactive person a large narration with each the kids successful the cast."

Recent years person seen Rowling go 1 of the astir salient figures successful the sermon implicit transgender issues, with her widely-criticised views causing a schism betwixt her and immoderate wrong the Harry Potter movies' cast.

Radcliffe, Grint and Watson person each antecedently distanced themselves from Rowling's opinions and spoken retired successful enactment of transgender rights, portion caller formed members for HBO's Harry Potter TV bid specified arsenic Nick Frost and Paapa Essiedu person joined the task portion simultaneously saying they disagree with Rowling's views.

The immense bulk of the archetypal Harry Potter cast, including Radcliffe, Grint and Watson, each returned for the 20th day Return to Hogwarts documentary successful 2022, though Rowling notably lone appeared successful archival footage.

Since then, Warner Bros. has been mounting plans for its ambitious Harry Potter HBO TV bid reboot, which has present begun filming and volition beryllium successful accumulation for astir of the adjacent decade. This morning, Harry Potter movie prima Warwick Davis was announced arsenic the archetypal formed subordinate to reprise his relation from the large screen.

As for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, nary plans for a movie adaptation are present believed to beryllium successful the works, contempt it continuing to tally globally successful theatres connected the West End, Broadway, successful Hamburg and successful Tokyo.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social