Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Special Coming To HBO Max In January

The main cast of the Harry Potter film series are reuniting for an HBO Max special coming this January. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and more will return for an unscripted "retrospective special" for HBO Max; it is scheduled to premiere on January 1.

Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, and Ian Hart will appear as well. Chris Columbus, who directed the original Harry Potter, will appear, too, along with special guests to be announced later.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was not mentioned at all in the press release announcing the event. She has faced criticism over her comments about sex and gender issues.

The special is called Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, and it marks the first time that the cast is getting back together in this way since the first movie premiered in 2001.

The special will include interviews and conversations with the cast, and you can check out a teaser video above. The special will also air on TBS and Cartoon Network in Spring 2022 before Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore comes to theaters later in the year.

"Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will honor the magic behind the making of the films and the beautiful family created at Warner Bros. Studios London two decades ago. It will also celebrate the unparalleled legacy of theHarry Potter film franchise and its indelible impact on the hearts, minds, and imaginations of families and fans around the world," reads a line from its description.

A first look at the special will premiere during the Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses quiz competition on November 28.

This is not the first high-profile reunion special for HBO Max, as the streaming platform hosted the popular Friends reunion special earlier this year.