‘Harry Potter’ Returns To Theaters In Honor Of 25th Anniversary

Harry Potter fans, get ready, because all of the beloved movies are coming back to theaters.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the film that started it all, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone will also feature 12 minutes of “never-before-seen” bonus footage. The classic franchise, a staple of many Millennial and Gen Z childhoods, began with J.K. Rowling’s wildly successful fantasy Harry Potter book series that has since spawned eight movies, three spin-off prequels, and an upcoming HBO television show that hopes to reboot the iconic tale.

According to the announcement, the movies will be shown at major chains such as Regal, Cinemark, and AMC. Showings are only scheduled in the U.S. and Canada, at least for now. Tickets went on sale on July 31, Harry Potter’s birthday.

Participating theaters will also be offering exclusive merchandise for the occasion. Additionally, the official Harry Potter shop has created a unique line of clothing and souvenirs to commemorate the special anniversary of “Back to Hogwarts.” LEGO recently released several new sets.

In major U.S. cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, and Detroit, fans can attend screenings at Cosm venues. This company offers immersive “shared reality” experiences inside a massive, 87-foot diameter dome with over twelve thousand LEDs.

During this time, special celebrations at Universal theme park locations will provide even more fun opportunities for fans, as well as the annual live celebration on September 1st occurring around the world. The Warner Bros. studio tour in London is promoting behind-the-scenes demonstrations. 

After this one-week theatrical run, fans can look forward to the premiere of the first season of the new television show on Christmas Day. A new board game is in the production process, and many are hopeful that a trailer could soon be released for the sequel to the 2023 video game Hogwarts Legacy. The re-release is scheduled for August 27 to September 3.

Meanwhile, the upcoming Harry Potter HBO series is scheduled to be released in December of this year. Rowling is actually involved with the reboot, teasing last year on social media that she was excited for the production.

“I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO ‘Harry Potter’ series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!” Rowling wrote on X.

Also, according to Film Shrine, “HBO has been upfront about her role too, with CEO Casey Bloys saying she was heavily involved in choosing showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod. The plan is to stretch the story out, with each book becoming its own full season.”