Harry Potter actor Matthew Lewis has revealed his thoughts about the upcoming TV adaptation of the franchise, seemingly taking a swipe at the future HBO show.
Mr Lewis, 36, played unlucky student-turned-hero Neville Longbottom in the blockbuster movies from 2001 to 2011.
His character is set to return to screens in the series adaptation, with fellow Yorkshire-born actor Rory Wilmot set to step into Mr Lewis’s shoes as the schoolboy.
However, the original Neville star suggested he would struggle to see the character he brought to life re-imagined, before taking a swipe at author JK Rowling.
Matthew Lewis portrayed Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films (2001 to 2011)
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The actor, who has since starred alongside Emilia Clarke in the popular film Me Before You in 2016 as well as comedy-drama Avoidance, confessed he “hadn’t thought about” the new show.
His admission comes despite the series having been announced in 2023 and making headlines with updates ever since.
“I haven’t really thought about the series as a whole at all,” Mr Lewis stated.
Taking a subtle dig at the project, he told The Independent: “I’ll probably have to pay my therapist for a double session when I finally do think about it.”
JK Rowling hit out at Emma Watson last week
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However, the actor went on to admit he was pleased to find the next Neville Longbottom will also be played by a Yorkshire youngster.
“I feel quite humbled in that Neville is now canon Yorkshire,” he continued. “Whether that’s a tribute to me or not, I don’t know, I’m gonna say that it is. But the last thing [the new cast] needs is for has-beens wading in, just let them cook.”
Mr Lewis was quizzed as to whether he’d ever be willing to work alongside Harry Potter author Ms Rowling again, to which he responded it would “depend on what the project is”.
Acknowledging the controversy surrounding Ms Rowling’s stance on the trans debate, which has prompted several of the old Harry Potter cast members to distance themselves from her, he continued to say he’d “have to have conversations”.
He added he would need to ensure he felt “totally comfortable squaring it with my own beliefs”.
The admission comes amid a significant point in the row, with Ms Rowling and Hermione Granger star Emma Watson both having opened up about their disagreement recently.
Matthew Lewis broke his silence on the JK Rowling debate
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Ms Watson, 35, seemed to change her stance on the author in a recent interview, where she insisted she still “loved and treasured” Ms Rowling despite having heavily criticised her publicly in the past.
Following the interview, the writer initially responded to jokey X posts poking fun at the actress for her new mindset, with Ms Rowling joining in.
Shortly after, though, Ms Rowling officially broke her silence on the subject with a lengthy statement in which she shared Ms Watson had “publicly poured more petrol on the flames” despite secretly sending her a note of apology for the hateful trolling she had been facing.
Part of the post by Ms Rowling read: “I’m not owed eternal agreement from any actor who once played a character I created.
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Emma Watson recently seemed to change her opinion on JK Rowling
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“The idea is as ludicrous as me checking with the boss I had when I was twenty-one for what opinions I should hold these days.
“Emma Watson and her co-stars have every right to embrace gender identity ideology. Such beliefs are legally protected, and I wouldn’t want to see any of them threatened with loss of work, or violence, or death, because of them.
“However, Emma and Dan [Radcliffe] in particular have both made it clear over the last few years that they think our former professional association gives them a particular right – nay, obligation – to critique me and my views in public.
“Years after they finished acting in Potter, they continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created.”