Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint come together for the one-off HBO Max special. Photo: HBO
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint come together for the one-off HBO Max special. Photo: HBO
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint come together for the one-off HBO Max special. Photo: HBO
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint come together for the one-off HBO Max special. Photo: HBO

Culture

Television

'Harry Potter' 20th anniversary: first look as Harry, Ron and Hermione reunite at Hogwarts

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint come together for the one-off HBO Max special, set to air on New Year's Day

Sophie Prideaux
Sophie Prideaux

December 09, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

HBO has released the first image from its coming Harry Potter reunion special, which will mark 20 years since the release of the first film in the ever-popular franchise.

The still from Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts shows actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who played Harry, Ron and Hermione in all eight films, in conversation inside Hogwarts.

The stars will share their memories from the decade-long franchise, which saw them thrust into the spotlight as children, making them among some of the most recognisable stars in the world.

They will be joined for the special by the likes of Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) and Gary Oldman (Sirius Black).

The special is set to air on HBO Max on January 1.

Based on the books by JK Rowling, the Harry Potter films are among the most successful movie franchises ever made. Rowling, however, is notably absent from the special. While the author will feature in archive footage that will be shown, it's unclear whether her controversial comments about transgender issues in 2020 were the reason for her absence.

The image comes in the same week that HBO released the first trailer for the special, which featured some familiar faces, as well as the signature Harry Potter music and the famous platform 9¾, the invisible station at London’s Kings Cross, where the Hogwarts Express is waiting to depart.

The special also marks 10 years since the release of the final film, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Pt 2.

The TV special is one of several 20th-anniversary events planned by Warner Bros, including a TV quiz contest for Potter fans hosted by Dame Helen Mirren, which will include cameo appearances by some of the cast as well as celebrity fans including comedians Pete Davidson and Jay Leno.

Scroll through the gallery below to see what the stars of 'Harry Potter' look like now:

  • How Daniel Radcliffe has changed since the first film came out. Photo: Warner Bros / EPA
    How Daniel Radcliffe has changed since the first film came out. Photo: Warner Bros / EPA
  • Emma Watson. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
    Emma Watson. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
  • Rupert Grint. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
    Rupert Grint. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
  • Evanna Lynch. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
    Evanna Lynch. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
  • Robert Pattinson. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
    Robert Pattinson. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
  • James and Oliver Phelps. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
    James and Oliver Phelps. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
  • Bonnie Wright. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
    Bonnie Wright. Photo: Warner Bros / AFP
  • Matthew Lewis Photo: Warner Bros / EPA
    Matthew Lewis Photo: Warner Bros / EPA
  • Tom Felton. Photo: Warner Bros / EPA
    Tom Felton. Photo: Warner Bros / EPA
  • Katie Leung. Photo: Warner Bros / Getty Images
    Katie Leung. Photo: Warner Bros / Getty Images

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Publisher:  Activision
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Updated: December 09, 2021, 7:36 AM
Television