Daniel Radcliffe remembers being asked to join 'Wizard of Oz' remake with 'Harry Potter' cast
Washington DC, February 22
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe recalled a strange moment from his early years in film, when he was once pitched an idea that left him shocked and unsure.
Looking back, the actor shared how the suggestion stayed with him for years because it felt completely wrong, even to him as a teenager.
According to Deadline, during a recent chat on Hot Ones, Radcliffe spoke about ideas he had heard throughout his career. While discussing odd film pitches, he reflected on his time during the Harry Potter days and recalled what he called one of the "worst ideas" ever shared with him and his co-stars.
He explained that the plan involved all three lead actors from Harry Potter. Someone came to him and asked if he, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint would come together again, this time for a remake of The Wizard of Oz. Radcliffe said the idea sounded strange from the start and only became more confusing as it was explained.
"One of the worst ideas that 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 [Watson], and Rupert [Grint] in a remake of The Wizard of Oz, where Emma was Dorothy. I can't remember what Rupert was, and I just remember I was going to be the lion, but also, he knew karate. I was like a karate-kicking Cowardly Lion," Radcliffe said, as per Deadline.
"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. This should not be made,'" he added.
Radcliffe was recently seen in 'Merrily We Roll Along,' a filmed stage version of the award-winning musical. He is also set to return to Broadway and will appear in the comedy The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, some film ideas sound like they come from a random idea generator. The Harry Potter trio is iconic, no need to force them into another classic. Their legacy is perfect as it is.
It's fascinating to hear about the strange pitches actors get. Makes you wonder how many other terrible ideas almost got made. Good on Radcliffe for having that instinct even back then.
As a huge Potterhead, I'm so relieved this didn't happen! Can you imagine the confusion for kids? Harry, Hermione, and Ron in Oz? It would have diluted both magical worlds. Some classics should just be left alone, yaar.
Respectfully, while the idea sounds bad, I sometimes wish our Indian film industry had more actors willing to say 'no' to obviously strange mash-up scripts. We get a lot of those too!
This is hilarious! A karate-kicking Cowardly Lion? Sounds like something from a low-budget spoof film, not a serious project. Daniel's reaction is all of us hearing about unnecessary remakes.
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