The magic of friendship shines in "Harry Potter" reunion special

By: Adam Beam SUTV News

The last time Daniel Rdcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint shared the screen together was over ten years ago in 2011's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2". Even though the Wizarding World continues on in the "Fantastic Beast" series, we haven't seen our beloved young wizards in years. Until now that is, as the cast and crew reunite once again in "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts".

The special is an absolute treat for any fan of the franchise and is a heartwarming and emotional trip down memory lane. The special sees the biggest gathering of former cast members ever including the iconic trio, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Robbie Coltraine, and many more. Unlike the lackluster "Friends: The Reunion" this special has no over the top gimmicks or random celebrity guest stars, it's a simple coming together of former cast and crew to reflect on the memories and relationships made while making this legendary franchise.

One noteable and distracitng element of the special is the missing author J.K. Rowling. Since the announcement of this reunion it was made clear that following Rowling's 2020 Twitter controvery, in which she went on a long Twitter thread that many found "hurtful" and "insulting" towards the Trans community, that she would not be appearing. While the special is better off without her, there's still an air of awkwardness whenever her name or archival footage is brought up.

Another nitpick some may have towards the special is some missing core cast members. Actors like Dame Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Julie Walters, David Thewlis, Devon Murray, Imelda Staunton, and Warwick Davis (who played multiple characters) were just some of the big players who didn't appear in the special.

Despite all this, "Return to Hogwarts" is still the perfect wholesome treat for any wizarding fan to kick off the new year with. The special is a delightful lookback on a franchise that defined a generation and truly shows just how much magic happened behind the camera as well as in front of it.

"Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts" and all eight of the original films are currently streaming on HBO Max.