Harry Potter Fans Just Got The Reunion Special News They've Been Waiting For

In news that will likely shock many and make plenty of people feel old, it has been more than 20 years since the release of the very first "Harry Potter" movie. The November 2001 release of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (called "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in the United Kingdom) ushered in an entirely new era of filmmaking and began a saga that would enjoy unprecedented success. Over the course of a decade, the film series about the lightning bolt-scarred boy wizard earned Warner Bros. more than $7 billion at the box office (via Box Office Mojo).

In the years since Harry Potter's story ended in 2011 with the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2," Warner Bros. has made a number of attempts to revitalize the Wizarding World film franchise through the "Fantastic Beasts" series. Unfortunately, those films have failed to fully recapture the box office magic of the original eight films (via Box Office Mojo) and have sadly been marred by off-screen controversy.

However, plenty of "Harry Potter" fans (lovingly called "Potterheads") are still eager to revisit the magical world and the latest news from HBO Max is sure to excite them.

In a tweet posted to the official HBO Max Twitter page, the streaming platform confirmed that a special event meant to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the release of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" will be released on January 1, 2022. The special will be entitled "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts" and will feature an unprecedented reunion of "Harry Potter" cast members, including the original main three stars of the film series: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. 

Additionally, the special will feature interviews with a plethora of other "Harry Potter" cast members including Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Tom Felton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Matthew Lewis, and Evanna Lynch. Chris Columbus, the director of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and its sequel, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," will also make an appearance. 

News of next year's "Harry Potter" special follows the success of the HBO Max "Friends" special, which aired earlier this year. That special, which was released in May, featured a similar reunion for which each of the six main cast members were reportedly paid "at least" $2.5 million.