The Global Media Site for Entertainment.
Menu
HBO Max released Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts on New Year’s Day 2022. In this nostalgic and wonderful documentary feature, the cast from the film series Harry Potter reunite and embark on a journey down memory lane. Nostalgic conversations interweave with scenes from the original movies. All-in-all the perfect celebration for the 20th anniversary of the very first film in the series: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The documentary lets you right in. Onto the train to Hogwarts. Then into the grand hall we all know so well. The music (the John Williams score) is deliciously familiar. All the floating candles are lit to their brightest and warmest. The old cast is there, in the middle of the hall, dancing and laughing.
The Harry Potter reunion special Return to Hogwarts marks 20 years since the first film adaptation of JK Rowling’s game changing and multi-million-selling fantasy series about the boy wizard was released.
In honor of the movies, the documentary’s aesthetics are, from the very first moment, as close to the originals as possible.
The joy I saw immediately swept me away. There really is something magical about Harry Potter. Especially the movies. Even after all these years.
The cast members and the director have conversations together during which they share their extraordinary experiences of making these movies together.
The cast reminisces on how growing up in these movies as well as with them, has forever shaped their lives.
The spotlight is, of course, mainly on the three main characters: Harry, Hermione, and Ron. But we also get to hear from many other cast members.
A special section during the movie remembers many cast members, who like Alan Rickman, have sadly passed away.
Listening to everyone’s inside stories. Seeing their own enthusiasm and pride of their cinematic legacy. And revisiting with so many favorite characters does provide a rush of nostalgia for the audience.
This is only heightened by the emotions the cast and crew feel and show themselves. The enduring affection amongst them all becomes evident and is just as inspiring as the deep friendship and loyalty we saw between the characters of the movies.
Overall, as The Guardian put it in an article from Jan 1, 2022, “It is a slick and calculated production, designed to give Potterheads exactly what they want, how they want it. But it contains enough untold stories and honesty from the participants as well as un-fakeable camaraderie to give the documentary more genuine heart than probably anyone expected.”
It seems at the moment Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts isn’t available everywhere for streaming just yet.
Since January 1st, you can stream it exclusively on HBO Max. The reunion special is available to all HBO Max subscribers, regardless of what plan you pay for.
I am sure, however, soon we will see the documentary popping up on Prime, Netflix, and/or other streaming sites as well.
Stay tuned and do not miss this for the world!
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts | Official Trailer | HBO Max
Article in The Guardian “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts review – perilously close to emetic”
Business Insider, how to stream the documentary at HBO Max
The 10 Best Documentary Feature Films About Theatre
My Turbulent Graduation from the HK Academy for Performing Arts
Liam Klenk was born in Central Europe and has since lived on four continents. Liam has always been engaged in creative pursuits, ranging from photography and graphic design, to writing short stories and poetry, to working in theatre and shows. In 2016, Liam published his first book and memoir, 'Paralian'.
Read Full Profile
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
Thank you so much for reading, but you have now reached your free article limit for this month.
Our contributors are currently writing more articles for you to enjoy.
To keep reading, all you have to do is become a subscriber and then you can read unlimited articles anytime.
Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals.
