Daniel Radcliffe Says It Would Be "Very Weird" For Him To Appear In New Harry Potter Series

Actor Daniel Radcliffe has commented on the upcoming Harry Potter TV series that's in the works for the streaming service Max (formerly known as HBO Max), revealing whether or not he plans to be a part of it. Speaking to Access Hollywood, Radcliffe said what you might have guessed, which is that he plans to pass the torch instead of lobbying to play Harry Potter yet again.

"I think it's very much like they're going for a new series, and there would be somebody else playing Harry. So I think it would be very weird for me to show up. But I am very excited to see what other people do with it," he said (via EW).

Radcliffe went on to say that the Harry Potter series is similar to Sherlock Holmes in that it's open to multiple interpretations by different people.

"The Potter series of books was always going to be bigger than one interpretation or one franchise. So it'll be cool to see the torch get passed on," Radcliffe said.

It's still early days for the new Harry Potter TV series, so there is no word yet on the cast. The show was announced in April, and controversial author J.K. Rowling is involved as an executive producer. Radcliffe, and other members of the original Harry Potter movie cast, have spoken out against Rowling and her transphobic comments.

The untitled series is described as a "faithful adaptation" of the books. WB Discovery said it is planning a "decade-long" series featuring "a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom."

"Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world," WB Discovery said. It was previously reported that there would be seven seasons, each adapting one of the books.

WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav has spoken enthusiastically about focusing on tentpole franchises, and Harry Potter would surely be one of them. WB Discovery is also planning to release more The Lord of the Rings movies.

The mainline Harry Potter series ended in 2011 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. The Harry Potter spin-off movie series Fantastic Beasts debuted in 2016, but the latest instalment stalled out and the future of the series is uncertain.

The video game Hogwarts Legacy proved to be a gigantic commercial success, selling more than 15 million copies and bringing in more than $1 billion in revenue.