The 8 Biggest Takeaways & Surprises from HBO Max’s ‘Harry Potter: 20th Anniversary Reunion’ Special

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year. The beloved cast and crew commemorated the occasion by reuniting for the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special premiering on HBO Max on Saturday, Jan. 1. Harry Potter fans will be kicking off the new year filled with nostalgia as they watch Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) head back to where it all started more than two decades ago. The trio became worldwide icons when the movie was released in November 2001, but they had no idea how suddenly their lives would change.

This special is similar to the ones we’ve seen for Friends and for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air recently. In an era where beloved shows and movies are constantly brought back to life for spinoffs and reboots, having a simple walk down memory lane is enough—it’s emotional and nostalgic without overdoing it. This anniversary celebration allowed fans to watch as the cast relived some of the best moments from the 10 years they spent together. The stars recounted stories of their auditions, their first times meeting each other, their secret crushes on set, and even the moments they considered walking away from the franchise.