Your magic best friends are back in action.
“It feels like no time has passed, yet loads of time has passed,” says Emma Watson — perhaps better known as Hermione Granger — at the start of the official trailer for the upcoming “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.”
And Emma, we echo the sentiment.
After much anticipation, HBO Max has released the official preview of the retrospective, announced last month.
The special will take die-hards on a first-person journey through the franchise. Watson will be joined by her fellow actors in the movies, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint along with other cast members and filmmakers across the eight films.
One notably absent Harry Potter figure? The author of the books the series was based off, JK Rowling.
Rowling, who has come under fire in the last two years for her controversial gender comments on Twitter, was not interviewed for the special and will be shown in only archival footage about the movies.
Stars of the beloved franchise got together for the retrospective.HBO MaxInstead, the trailer follows the less controversial stars as they come together at the iconic Warner Bros. Making of Harry Potter studio tour in London and meet up with fellow alumni such as Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright and Matthew Lewis in the impeccably-replicated Great Hall.
“The thing that scared me the most was the implication that the most meaningful thing in our life was done,” Radcliffe says, “and there’s something so joyous about seeing everyone, and be like, ‘It wasn’t though.’ “
Interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage from each of the eight films are conversations between the actors as they reminisce about their favorite moments, what made them decide to take on their respective characters and more.
Helena Bonham Carter, 55, shares with Radcliffe, 32, a personal highlight during “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” in which she “had to pretend to be Hermione pretending to be Bellatrix” as they break into Gringotts. She tells him, “I’ve still got the teeth,” and puts them in her mouth as he laughs.HBO MaxAdditional Harry Potter film alumni joining the memorable tribute include Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Alfred Enoch, Ian Hart, Toby Jones, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, producer David Heyman and filmmakers Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell and David Yates.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, (HBO Max)HBO MaxThe retrospective special released a first look at the reunion on Twitter earlier this month with the caption, “Like they never left.”
“When things get really dark, and times are really hard, there’s something about Harry Potter that makes life richer,” Watson says, as the key trio of friends talk in the Gryffindor common room in the trailer.
“It’s a strong bond that we’ll always have,” Grint agrees as they embrace.
The special arrives on HBO Max Jan. 1.
