Daniel Radcliffe Reflects on HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot and the Emotions of Watching a New Generation Take the Lead

As HBO prepares to reintroduce the wizarding world to television audiences, Daniel Radcliffe says the experience of watching a new trio step into the roles that defined his childhood has been both emotional and disorienting.

In a recent interview with People magazine, Radcliffe confirmed that he has been in touch with his former co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint about HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series. While the trio has not had extensive discussions about the production itself, Radcliffe said they share an unspoken understanding about what it feels like to see another group of children begin the same journey they once did.

“It’s surreal,” he said, describing the experience of seeing promotional images of the new cast. Though there has not been “a ton of communication” specifically about the show, Radcliffe suggested that he, Watson, and Grint are aligned emotionally. According to him, the instinctive reaction is protective. Seeing 11-year-olds step into globally recognized roles, he said, makes him want to “grab them and hug them.”

Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint portrayed Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley across eight films released between 2001 and 2011, beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. The franchise became one of the most successful in film history, turning its young leads into international stars before they were teenagers.

HBO’s forthcoming adaptation will revisit J.K. Rowling’s novels in a long-form television format. The network has cast Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The series is currently slated to premiere in 2027.

For Radcliffe, now 36, the new casting has prompted reflection on his own childhood. He noted that when he was 11, he felt fully prepared to take on the responsibility of leading a major studio film. With an adult perspective, however, the scale of what he undertook feels staggering. Meeting children that age now, he said, underscores how young he truly was at the time.

That realization, Radcliffe added, has deepened his appreciation for his parents. He has spoken publicly about the role they played in helping him navigate sudden fame and the pressures of a global franchise. Looking back, he credits them with guiding him through what he described as an “intense” and often overwhelming period, doing so with humor and steadiness.

Radcliffe has also reached out directly to his successor. During an appearance last year on “Good Morning America,” he revealed that he wrote a letter to McLaughlin after the young actor was announced as the new Harry. The exchange, Radcliffe said, was simple and supportive. He emphasized that he does not want to loom over the next generation but felt compelled to offer encouragement.

“I don’t want to be a specter in these kids’ lives,” he said, reiterating that sentiment in subsequent interviews. His hope, he explained, is that McLaughlin and his co-stars enjoy the experience, perhaps even more than he did, though he described his own time in the role as overwhelmingly positive.

Grint has taken a similar approach. The actor, who originally played Ron Weasley, wrote to Stout to symbolically “pass the baton.” In interviews, Grint said his message centered on wishing the newcomer well and expressing hope that he would find the same joy in the wizarding world that he once did.

Radcliffe has also urged members of the press to be mindful when covering the new series. In comments to ScreenRant, he suggested that if audiences genuinely want to protect the young cast, they should avoid constantly framing them in relation to the original films and actors. Rather than positioning the previous trio as ever-present comparisons, Radcliffe argued, it is healthier to allow the new performers to establish their own interpretations.