Daniel Radcliffe isn’t interested in reprising his Harry Potter role for a Cursed Child film

Fans of Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter may be disappointed to hear that the actor is not interested in reprising the iconic role for a film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Last year, director Chris Columbus, who helmed the first two Harry Potter movies and produced the third, said he wanted to return to the franchise for a film adaptation of J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany’s stage play. As a part of the would-be project, Columbus wanted Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint to reprise their iconic roles.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child picks up 19 years after Harry, Ron, and Hermione saved the wizarding world. For the Cursed Child, they’re back on a most extraordinary new adventure – this time, joined by a brave new generation that has only just arrived at the legendary Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The story features spectacular spells, a mind-blowing race through time, and an epic battle to stop mysterious forces, all while the future hangs in the balance.

“If you’re a film nerd or cinephile, it’s kind of like what J.J. Abrams did with Star Wars,” Columbus told The Hollywood Reporter. “There’s no question if you’re a Star Wars fan, you were moved just seeing them on screen, seeing Harrison Ford as Han Solo again.”

Radcliffe, however, has little interest in stepping back into the role of the Boy Who Lived. While speaking with The New York Times, Radcliffe told the outlet that reprising his Harry Potter role “isn’t something I’m really interested in doing right now.” Radcliffe added, “This isn’t the answer that anybody’s going to want, but I think I was so able to go back and enjoy it because it’s not a part of my day-to-day life anymore,” Radcliffe said about HBO’s Harry Potter reunion special. “I’m getting to a point where I feel like I made it out of Potter, okay and I’m really happy with where I am now, and to go back would be such a massive change to my life. I’m never going to say never, but the Star Wars guys had like 30, 40 years before they went back.”

In a time when revivals are a hot commodity in Hollywood, I think it’s nice to hear that Radcliffe is sticking to his guns. Not everyone wants to relive the past, especially if they’ve worked hard to distance themselves from their humble beginnings. While the Harry Potter franchise is sure to be a point of pride for Radcliffe, his sights appear to be set on the future – a future that doesn’t include Rowling’s Wizarding World.

Would you like to see Daniel Radcliffe reprise his Harry Potter role for a film version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? If Radcliffe won’t accept the project, who do you think could replace him? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.