Watching Daniel Radcliffe Reconnect to ‘Harry Potter’ Is a Fan’s Dream Come True
Harry Potter fans weren’t sure they would ever see Daniel Radcliffe return to the franchise. But just days after celebrating International Harry Potter Day, the actor is gifting them with a surprise treat. Radcliffe, along with other numerous celebrities, is reading a chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone for the franchise’s official website, and it’s every wizard’s dream come true.
Daniel Radcliffe is reading ‘The Boy Who Lived’
Soon after J.K. Rowling released Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 1997, her story about a boy wizard and his friends became a global phenomenon. The books that followed were adapted into eight movies, all starring actor Daniel Radcliffe as the titular character, Harry Potter.
Now, years after the last film was released, Radcliffe is returning to the franchise. In a tweet, Wizarding World announced the actor would be the first celebrity to read from Rowling’s beloved novel.
“Surprise! We’ve got a treat for you,” the tweet read. “From today, amazing friends of the Wizarding World are going to take turns reading Harry Potter book one. And to start us off with Chapter 1, we think you’ll agree we have the perfect narrator.”
The Wizarding World website revealed that Radcliffe is reading the entire first chapter in a video published on the website. They are also releasing an audio version which is available on Spotify.
“Who better to lend their voice to Chapter One than the prolific actor who portrayed Harry in all eight films?” the website reads. “Daniel Radcliffe has kindly read the whole of Chapter One of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone/Sorcerer’s Stone, ‘The Boy Who Lived,’ for your viewing and listening pleasure. As the figurehead of the Harry Potter films for so many years, we hope you love watching this incredibly special video of Daniel revisiting Harry’s adventure – this time not on a film set, but through the pages of the first book.”
Daniel Radcliffe has kept his distance from ‘Harry Potter’ for the past few years
Seeing Radcliffe and his co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint return to the screen to play Harry, Hermione, and Ron in upcoming movies would be every fan’s dream. But in an interview with Variety, when asked about playing Harry in a Fantastic Beasts film, Radcliffe revealed that he has no intention of reprising the role.
“I don’t like, say no to things, but it’s not something that I’m rushing to do,” said Radcliffe. I feel like those films have moved on and they’re doing just fine without us. I’m happy to keep it that way.”
‘Harry Potter’ fans are thrilled to see Radcliffe reconnect
Knowing how distant he’s been from the franchise in recent years, watching Radcliffe read ‘The Boy Who Lived’ was a treat for Harry Potter fans. For many fans, the moment came as a welcome surprise. “Never thought I will witness Daniel Radcliffe reading Harry Potter!!!” one fan shared on Twitter.
“I still can’t get over the fact that there’s a video of Daniel Radcliffe reading ‘The Boy Who Lived'”, another fan tweeted. “Like, that’s a thing that ACTUALLY happened. I feel like I’m in a dream, but for the love of god DO NOT wake me up.”
With all the stress of quarantines and lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic, some fans took to social media to share both their excitement and gratitude.
“Harry Potter reading himself the first chapter of his story was just so heartwarming and precious,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “Daniel Radcliffe, the boy who lived, thank you for making our childhood magical and our quarantine spectacular!”
“Daniel Radcliffe reading the Harry Potter series on Spotify will single handily cure my quarantine depression,” another Twitter fan shared.
Other notable celebrities that will be reading from The Sorcerer’s Stone include Dakota Fanning, Eddie Redmayne, and David Beckham.
