Harry Potter star on what was missing from films and should be in series remake
"If only we could have had five-hour movies."
With HBO's new Harry Potter series on the way, one of the stars of the original film franchise has weighed in on how the novels should be adapted differently this time around.
Speaking with Variety, Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley in the films, was asked which storylines she hopes the TV series includes that didn’t make it into the films, to which she said: "So many things."
"More of the development of the relationship between Ginny and Harry," she explained. "There’s nuanced moments of where they begin to fall in love.
"I think more of that arc of her character becoming this real loyal sidekick to Harry and how she really understands and knows his story and who he is and is the best partner for him.
"So I just hope we see that evolution of that character - and so many characters. If only we could have had five-hour movies.
"There are so many characters that have moments I love from the books - Neville and Luna - so I’m hoping as a fan of the books that I get to see more."
Wright said that "it might be weird" for her to appear in the series in any capacity, so said she would "happily" just be watching, and added that she felt the new young cast would be under a "bit more pressure" than the cast of the films were.
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She explained: "When we were making them, we didn’t know where Harry Potter was going. And at the time, there wasn’t social media, and there wasn’t as much access to public opinion, so it was kind of a little bubble within itself.
"But I also think it’s such a fun opportunity for these people, whether how they’re cast or how they perform their roles, to just have fun with it and have their interpretation of it."
Wright isn't the only actor from the films to have ruled out a return for the series - Neville Longbottom star Matthew Lewis has also said he is "not in any rush" to return to the Wizarding World.
Francesca Gardiner will be the showrunner on the new series, while Succession's Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes.
The Harry Potter series will arrive on HBO in 2026.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.