Daniel Radcliffe Knows All About J.K. Rowling's New 'Harry Potter' Story
Seven books, eight movies, a trilogy of spinoff films on the way, and multiple Wizarding World amusement parks. Isn't that more than enough magic to satisfy "Harry Potter" fans?
Perhaps not, especially after author J.K. Rowling just dropped a new story set after the events of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" in front of fans across the world. Rowling published a short story written from the perspective of gossip columnist Rita Skeeter, focusing on Harry, Ron and Hermione at the age of 34, and how their lives have changed since their final battle with You Know Who.
Many fans hope that the fictional "Dumbledore's Army Reunites" article will pave the way for more stories set in the "Harry Potter" universe, chronicling Harry's adventures as a seasoned Auror, or at least focusing on the next generation of the Wizarding World. But here's one thing you can rule out, at least for now: There will be no more "Harry Potter" films, at least not starring Daniel Radcliffe.
"My inclination is to say no," the actor told reporters at the TCA Summer Press Tour, appearing via satellite on behalf of the second series of "A Young Doctor's Notebook." "I don’t think it’s a question that’s even – not even hypothetical."
"As I understand, it’s a very short piece, not of itself worthy of adaptation to film," Radcliffe continued. "And he’s at least 12 years older than I am now. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that for a long time."
Now, don't let Radcliffe's comments get you down. There are some silver linings in here, just as there are "silver threads" in older Harry's hair. For one, at least the story is on his radar; the fact that Radcliffe knows about the new "Harry Potter" yarn indicates that he's still in touch with Rowling about the character, or is at least plugged in enough to know what's happening with Harry.
For another, Radcliffe specifically said that he doesn't have to worry about returning to Harry "for a long time." And he's right; the character of Rowling's latest story is many years older than Radcliffe is right now. If new material centered on Middle-Aged Potter comes to light, it's likely we won't see it turned into a full-fledged film until Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are at the right ages to reprise their roles. This is, in every way, a future concern.
And then there's the fact that Radcliffe calls Rowling's article "a very short piece, not of itself worthy of adaptation." No, not of itself. But if it's part of something larger? Then it's more than worthy — and there's reason to suspect there might be something larger at play.
Even though Rowling's spokespeople said the author has "no plans" to tell further stories about Harry, Ron and Hermione, the end of the Rita Skeeter article says otherwise. It specifically states that Skeeter will return with a new biography called "Dumbledore's Army: The Dark Side of the Demob" on July 31. Is it possible that we're only weeks away from knowing even more about the future of the "Harry Potter" franchise, or is it just another tease?
As with all things "Potter," anything's possible. For now, it's all speculation, until proven otherwise.
