Hold the Sorting Hat, the original cast of the Harry Potter series will gather on screen to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The HBO Max special, titled Return to Hogwarts, will be released on January 1, the network said.

The stars of the franchise, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, and their castmates, will join the director of the first film Chris Columbus at the meeting to discuss in depth the eight films.

As children, the trio saw their lives transformed by the magical roles of Harry Potter (Radcliffe), Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, in the big-screen adaptation of JK Rowling’s highly successful children’s fantasy book series. The author is not listed to appear at the special event.

The announcement came exactly 20 years after the first film was released, on November 16, 2001. The last episode, Deathly Hallows Part 2, hit theaters in 2011.

So, as you wait for your acceptance letter from Hogwarts two decades later, here’s what the main stars and some of the cast have been up to since they burst onto the scene as young stars.

First seen on the big screen at age 12 as the bespectacled face of the Harry Potter franchise, Radcliffe bore a striking resemblance to Rowling’s main character.

He quickly became synonymous with his role as the “boy who lived” and, as a central figure in the money spinning franchise, he soon found himself listed as one of the highest paid actors under age 30.

Radcliffe teased his stance by playing himself as a goofy hormonal teen superstar in a 2006 episode of Ricky Gervais’ Extras. He later also took on bold roles on stage and on screen.

This included the role of Alan Strang in Peter Shaffer’s 2007 West End production of Equus, which required him to perform some nude scenes and simulate sex with a horse.

“It’s an incredible part for a young actor. He’s taking a big risk,” said fellow British actor Richard E Grant of the then 17-year-old.

After the last Potter movie in 2011, Radcliffe went on to star in the films The Woman in Black and Kill Your Darlings.

He then joined the ensemble cast of Shane Carruth’s The Modern Ocean – alongside Anne Hathaway and Keanu Reeves – in 2015.

The now 32-year-old actor has since mostly avoided the A-list spotlight, taking on roles in films like the thriller Guns Akimbo and Victor Frankenstein.

Being the youngest of the main trio, Emma Watson was only 11 when she was first seen on screen as Hermione Granger.

Her career beyond Potter has been varied, starring in the critically acclaimed Perks of Being a Wallflower, the 2019 film adaptation of Little Women, and playing Belle in the 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.

However, Watson also made headlines about acting.

Describing herself as a “real nerd,” she enrolled to study English literature at Brown, the Ivy League university in the United States, in 2009.

Watson he told Interview Magazine she moved in part to reclaim the school life she missed as a child.

Discuss student life like a global star with The Sunday Times, she said: “The first day I went into the canteen and everyone was completely silent and turned to look at me … I had to say to myself: ‘It’s okay, you can do it'”.

After spending a year off to finish filming the Deathly Hallows, the actress graduated in 2014.

Passionate activist, the star’s role as a UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador saw her named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015.

She defended being a single woman when she turned 30, protesting against an “influx of subliminal messages” placed on women by society. in an interview with British Vogue in 2019.

Last year, he denied rumors that he was planning to move away from acting.

Grint’s turn as lovable rogue Ron has endeared him to many, but the star has largely distanced himself from the movies after the Potter series ended.

An appearance in Ed Sheeran’s music video for Lego House in 2011 marked a surprise return to public life, followed by film roles including 2015’s Into the White and Moonwalkers.

Grint also appeared on stage, landing a starring role in the 2014 Broadway production It’s Only A Play, alongside Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane.

But aside from small intermittent roles in shows like Snatch, the ABC murders and Servant, he has mostly focused on investing his savings into a large portfolio of properties, estimated at £ 24 million. according to HELLO! magazine.

The star also made headlines last year when he unexpectedly revealed he was a father, posting a photo with his little girl and also marking her Instagram debut.

Nicknamed himself “Grint on the Gram,” he joked that he was “only 10 years late” in signing up for the social media platform.

After becoming Hogwarts’ resident bully, Felton jumped straight into another high-budget production, playing the equally evil Dodge Landon in 2011’s Planet of the Apes.

He has since focused more on television projects, taking on roles in Murder in the First, The Flash and appearing as Logan in the original YouTube Origin series.

Felton also devoted time to another artistic passion: music. He appeared in James Arthur’s Empty Space video in 2018 and has released numerous songs since 2008, including the YoOHoO EP earlier this year.

The 34-year-old continues to embrace his Potter past, responding to fans like Draco on social media and even giving up his allegiance to Slytherin to dress up as Harry for Halloween last month.

“Is this how you go back to school?” she tweeted after the reunion was announced.

5. Matthew Lewis – Neville Longbottom

Since playing the goofy and unsuspecting hero Neville Longbottom, a fan favorite, Lewis has played numerous television, film and stage roles.

He appeared on the BBC shows Happy Valley and Death in Paradise, before landing a part in the 2016 romance film Me Before You, and currently appears in Chanel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small.

However, the Potter franchise has maintained a positive impact on his life. He married his longtime girlfriend Angela Jones in 2018 after the couple met at a Celebration of Harry Potter event at Universal Studios Orlando, where Jones was working.

Away from acting, Lewis, now 32, hosts a podcast about Leeds United with former club striker Jermaine Beckford.

Reacting to the news of the reunion, he posted: “This New Year … we’re getting the band back together.”

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