Noah Romsdal Hallundbæk Sørensen
Daniel Radcliffe has revealed a bizarre Wizard of Oz pitch involving his former Harry Potter co-stars.
At the height of a global phenomenon, Daniel Radcliffe was fielding all kinds of offers.
One proposal, however, left the young star stunned and certain it should never see the light of day.
Radcliffe recently recalled what he described as one of the strangest ideas brought to him during his time leading the Harry Potter franchise.
The actor, who played the boy wizard from 2001 to 2011, said the pitch involved reuniting him with co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint for an unexpected remake.
The concept centered on a new version of The Wizard of Oz, with Watson cast as Dorothy. Radcliffe and Grint were also meant to take on roles in the reimagining, though the details were, in his view, baffling.
A Curious Proposal
“One of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard, during Potter, somebody came to us and I think asked, like they wanted to cast all three of us, me, Emma and Rupert, in a remake of Wizard of Oz, where Emma was Dorothy. I can’t remember what Rupert was, and I just remember that I was going to be the lion, but also he knew karate.”
The actor said the suggestion came while the Harry Potter films were dominating cinemas worldwide. At the time, the trio had become some of the most recognizable young performers in the industry.
Even as a teenager, Radcliffe felt confident the project was misguided. The idea of stepping into the paws of a martial arts-trained Cowardly Lion did not appeal to him.
Teenage Instinct
“I was like a karate kicking cowardly lion. And I remember I was like 14 or 15, and I was like, ‘I don’t know a lot about the world, but this is a bad idea, and it should not be made.”
The film was never produced, and Radcliffe continued focusing on the wizarding series that defined his early career.
The eight Harry Potter films became one of the most successful franchises in cinema history, launching the careers of its young leads.
Now, the original trio is preparing to hand over their roles to a new generation.
HBO is developing a Harry Potter television adaptation starring Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
All eight original films are currently available to stream on HBO Max.
The new series is scheduled to debut on the same platform in 2027, though an exact release date has yet to be announced.
Sources: ScreenRant
