Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts | |
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Based on | Harry Potter by Warner Bros. Pictures |
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Narrated by | Stephen Fry |
Music by | Charlie Mole |
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Original language | English |
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Production location | Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
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Network | HBO Max |
Release | 1 January 2022 |
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is a television special released on 1 January 2022 on HBO Max. It is a reunion special for the cast and crew of the Harry Potter film series, marking the twentieth anniversary of the series' first instalment, The Philosopher's Stone . It was produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon and executive produced by Casey Patterson.
The films' protagonist trio Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson appear throughout the special, along with surviving principal cast members Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Ian Hart, Toby Jones, Matthew Lewis, and Evanna Lynch, producer David Heyman, and filmmakers Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates. The special is also notable for marking Coltrane's final on-screen appearance prior to his death on October 14, 2022 at the age of 72.
The reunion features clips of and pays tribute to cast members who have since died, including Helen McCrory, Alan Rickman, John Hurt, Richard Griffiths, and Richard Harris. [3]
In November 2021, Warner Bros. announced Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, a retrospective special featuring the cast and filmmakers of the Harry Potter film series to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of the series' first instalment, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001). The special is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon and executive produced by Casey Patterson. [4]
J. K. Rowling—the author of the original Harry Potter book series, who had a significant role in the production of the film adaptations—is largely absent from the special. She appears for under thirty seconds in archival footage from her interviews in 2019 and is mentioned by some of the special's interviewees, but no advertisements for the special featured images of her. Critics speculated that this was due to her views on transgender issues and, as The Daily Telegraph 's Ed Power put it, consequent "public rebuke by the series' stars". [5] However, Entertainment Weekly reported that Rowling had been invited to appear but she felt that the archival footage was sufficient, with "sources close to the situation" denying that the author's decision was related to the controversy surrounding her remarks on transgender issues. [6]
The special was filmed at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter in Leavesden, England. [4]
In the initial release, a childhood image of Emma Roberts was mistakenly presented as an image of a young Watson, and Oliver and James Phelps are mislabelled as each other. By 3 January, these errors had been corrected in a new version. [7] [8]
The music for the TV Special was composed by Charlie Mole. [9] In addition, John Williams, who scored the first three Harry Potter films, re-recorded two of his compositions ("Hedwig’s Theme" and "Harry’s Wondrous World") for the special with the Synchron Stage Orchestra in Vienna, conducted by James Seymour Brett. [10]
Return to Hogwarts was released on HBO Max on 1 January 2022. [4] The special aired on 10 April 2022 on TBS, and on Cartoon Network ahead of the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore . [4] It was later released on both Blu-ray and DVD on 9 August 2022. [11]
Region | Broadcaster(s) | Ref(s) |
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Asia (selected countries) | HBO Go | [12] |
Australia | Binge | [13] |
Belgium | Streamz (Flanders in Dutch) Tipik and Auvio (Wallonia in French) | [14] [15] |
Canada | Crave (in English and French) | [16] |
Central and Eastern Europe (selected countries) | HBO Go | [17] |
France | Salto | [18] |
Germany | Sky | [19] |
India | Prime Video | [20] |
Vietnam | FPT Telecom | [21] |
Ireland | Sky and Now | [22] |
Israel | Yes | [23] |
Italy | Sky | [17] |
Latin America and Caribbean | HBO Max | [24] |
New Zealand | TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand | [25] |
Middle East (selected countries) | OSN | [26] |
Nordic countries | HBO Max | [17] |
Russia | Amediateka | [17] |
Spain | HBO Max | [17] |
Switzerland | Sky (in German) RTS 1 (in French) | [27] [28] |
Portugal | HBO Portugal | [17] |
United Kingdom | Sky and Now | [29] [17] |
United States | HBO Max | [4] |
On the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the special has a 93% approval rating with an average rating of 7.5/10, based on 27 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Affectionate and revealing, Return to Hogwarts offers an intimate glimpse into how the making of the Harry Potter franchise delivered its own special kind of magic for those involved." [30] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 65 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [31]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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2022 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Streaming Variety Sketch Series, Talk Series, or Special | Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts | Nominated | [32] |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) | Casey Patterson, Carol Donova, Ashley Edens, Marisa Clifford, Louis Mole, Sam Bridger, Isabel Davis, David Heyman, Rob Paine, Chase Simonds, Mike Darnell, Brooke Karzen, and Dan Sacks | Nominated | [33] [34] | |
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming | Simon Bryant, Jim Clark, James Collett, Bill DeRonde, Asaf Eisenberg, Will Gilby, Lior Linevitz–Matthews, Pablo Noe, Tim Perniciaro, and Jacob Proctor | Nominated |
Hermione Jean Granger is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She first appears in the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), on the Hogwarts express as a first year student on her way to Hogwarts. After Harry and Ron save her from a mountain troll in the girls' restroom, she becomes best friends with them and often uses her quick wit, deft recall, and encyclopaedic knowledge to lend aid in dire situations. Rowling has stated that Hermione resembles herself as a young girl, with her insecurity and fear of failure.
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is an English actress. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent films, she has received a selection of accolades, including a Young Artist Award and three MTV Movie Awards. Watson has been ranked among the world's highest-paid actresses by Forbes and Vanity Fair, and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2015.
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor. He rose to fame at age 12 when he began portraying Harry Potter in the film series of the same name. Radcliffe portrayed Potter in all eight films in the series, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor. Grint rose to fame for his role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film series, for which he was cast at age eleven, having previously acted only in school plays and his local theatre group. He portrayed Weasley in all eight films in the series, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). Since then, he has continued his work on film, television, and theatre.
Thomas Andrew Felton is an English actor. Born in Surrey, Felton began appearing in commercials and made his screen debut in the role of Peagreen Clock in The Borrowers (1997). He portrayed Louis T. Leonowens in Anna and the King (1999) before being cast as Draco Malfoy in the film adaptations of the Harry Potter fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling, starting with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and finishing with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). Felton appeared in the sci-fi film Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). He was subsequently cast in indie films From the Rough (2011) and The Apparition (2012).
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and produced by David Heyman, from a screenplay by Steve Kloves, based on the 1997 novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. Its story follows Harry's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as he discovers that he is a famous wizard and begins his formal wizarding education.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón from a screenplay by Steve Kloves, based on the 1999 novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively. It chronicles Harry's third year at Hogwarts and his quest to uncover the truth about his past, including the connection recently-escaped Azkaban prisoner Sirius Black has to Harry and his deceased parents.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Mike Newell from a screenplay by Steve Kloves, based on the 2000 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) and the fourth instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively. The story follows Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts as he is chosen by the Goblet of Fire to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.
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Harry Potter is a film series based on the eponymous novels by British author J. K. Rowling. The series is produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and consists of eight fantasy films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). A spin-off prequel series started with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), marking the beginning of the Wizarding World shared media franchise.
Harry Potter Fan Zone is an Australian Harry Potter fansite created in 2003 by Australian teenager Andy McCray. Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling awarded the website a "Fan Site Award", stating that "[it] is a great Australian site with an impressively young staff who have produced some really insightful editorials."
Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter fantasy novel series. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as the best friend of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. He is a member of the Weasley family, a pure blood family that resides in "The Burrow" outside Ottery St. Catchpole. Being the only member of the three main characters raised in magical society, he also provides insight into the Wizarding World's magical customs and traditions. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of Gryffindor house and is present for most of the action throughout the series. Ron was portrayed by Rupert Grint in all eight Harry Potter films.
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The film is the second of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The story concludes Harry Potter's quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes in order to stop him once and for all.
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