There is little doubt that fans are already looking forward to Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. After all, it has been confirmed that Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint will reunite with the rest of the cast and filmmakers who worked on the films. But will they also get to sit down with the woman who started it all? Interestingly, it has been confirmed that J.K. Rowling will not be a part of the highly anticipated HBO Max reunion special.
Potterheads were understandably hyped up when Return to Hogwarts was announced this week since it meant revisiting the Harry Potter Universe with several familiar faces. In addition to the main trio, the special will also bring back director Chris Columbus as well as cast members like Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, and Gary Oldman. However, there was no mention of J.K. Rowling in any of the reports.
So is J.K. Rowling going to join the cast and crew in the HBO special? The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone author will not be a part of the reunion. However, Rowling will appear in archive footage.
It's interesting to note that Rowling is not going to join the Harry Potter cast despite always being present in every part of the franchise. Some believe that the writer has decided not to take part in the reunion due to all the previous controversies that followed her in the past two years.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will also feature Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Imelda Staunton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Ian Hart, and more. The reunion special will bring the cast back to Hogwarts for the first time in a decade and will premiere on HBO Max on January 1, 2022.
Related: Harry Potter Stars to Reunite for New HBO Max Special