In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the film “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” HBO Max, a television network, is releasing its “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” on Jan. 1, 2022. The upcoming event has stirred a buzz of excitement amongst the public, especially throughout countless Harry Potter fans.

“My son is an avid fan of Harry Potter,“ Peter Alden, a fan of Harry Potter, said. “If this release is significant for my son, it is going to be significant for me. I just found out that I love the Harry Potter universe, and the more I learn about it, the better.” 

Following the public announcement of the anniversary event, film actors Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) shared their excitement on social media and expressed appreciation for fans’ continuous support. Other alumni of the film including Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) also expressed gratitude and excitement for the upcoming show.

“The upcoming Harry Potter releases seem like a nice commemoration to the series​​,” Mingunn Kim (11), a long-time fan of Harry Potter, said. “I think Harry Potter was important to me when I was young because it helped give me inspiration for my creative thinking. The concept of worldbuilding was very new to me when I read Harry Potter and got me very interested in that sort of concept.”

The 20 year anniversary celebration will feature in-depth cast interviews and behind-the-scenes moments from the eight Harry Potter movies. The director of the first three Harry Potter films Chris Columbus will also explain the creation of the film in depth. Even though all the actors are at different stages of their lives, the Potter series is bringing its fan base once all together again through this celebratory reunion. 

“To be quite honest, I did not know there was a Harry Potter documentary being released,” Eugene Lee, another fan of Harry Potter, said. “ I remember driving to Barnes and Noble bookstore and picking up the latest release at midnight with my younger sister.  It is a bit of a shock that it has been 20 years.  If I am nostalgic for anything, I believe it will be for the music.  John Williams is known for creating iconic and memorable pieces and any of the major Potter themes are instantly recognizable.”

Warner Bros, the movie studio that distributed the eight Harry Potter films, announced that Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling will not be attending the new show due to her controversial transphobic comments on social media. Yet, the movie will still include archival footage of Rowling discussing the film series. 

“I am super excited about the release because most movies of the Harry Potter series were released when I was not even born, so I am super happy to know that I can finally enjoy it in real-time,” Lauren Kim (11), another fan of Harry Potter, said. “Also, I like how J.K. Rowling was removed from taking part in the release because she has shown unacceptable behavior.”