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Harry Potter: Weasley siblings magically reunite at Keystone Comic Con
Back to The Burrow! Three of the Weasley siblings—James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny)—reunited at Keystone Comic Con in Philadelphia to reflect on their time spent filming all eight of the live-action Harry Potter films, and the massive cultural impact they had (and continue to have) on the world. SYFY WIRE was there Saturday afternoon to jot down the best moments with a quill and parchment.
“It’s still fun … It’s really bizarre," James said of the theme parks, conventions, and fans that have carried on the legacy of J.K. Rowling's iconic Wizarding World long after the original books and movies have ended. The only prop he was able to take away from the series was a piece of Nosebleed Nougat from a Skiving Snackbox sold at the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes joke shop in Diagaon Alley.
“It’s great to watch [the movies] … It’s quite thrilling because they are on [TV] quite often," said Oliver, who recalled a story about how one of President Obama's daughters celebrated her birthday on the set of one of the films. Despite being in a full Hogwarts school uniform, Oliver wasn't allowed into the Great Hall by a stone-faced Secret Service agent.
“It wasn’t till we finished the films [that we realized how big they were] … it became our weird normal," added Wright, who probably wouldn't have entered the entertainment industry, had it not been for Potter. Since 2012, she's written and directed her own features. “That 10-year experience on this comfortable and safe setting … it became, subconsciously, this foundational film school, and I realized that I was very impatient a lot of the time and wanted to stick my hand in a lot of the pies.”
Touching on her role as Ginny, Wright also discussed how her inclusion in the first film, Sorcerer's Stone, was so minuscule (accompanying Mrs. Weasley and her elder siblings to Platform 9 3/4), that it really took the pressure off of her as a first-time actor. Years later, she'd come full circle by playing mother to the character's daughter with Harry, Lily (played by Ellie Darcey-Alden), in the epilogue to Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
“The role was so small [in the first film], [that] it was less daunting going into it, not knowing where she’d end up," she said. “It was pretty fun at the end, playing parents with Dan [Radcliffe] and I having our kids."
That being said, she does wish that her romance with Harry had been developed a bit more onscreen beyond just "the kisses."
When the topic of a possible Potter reboot, be it a film or TV series, was broached, the actors voiced their skepticism about replicating the awe-inspired Hollywood magic (pun intended) conjured by producer David Heyman and the detail-oriented production crew on each movie.
“I can’t see there being one," Oliver said, voicing his support, instead, for a Cheers-esque sitcom that focuses on the colorful patrons of the Three Broomstricks in Hogsmeade.
“I think it’s more interesting to … allow whole new characters [to take center stage]," admitted Wright, referring to projects that further build out the mythos universe like Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts. If she ever did return to the franchise, however, Wright would like to explore Ginny's Quidditch career with the Holyhead Harpies.
As for the rest of the family: Ron, Percy, Bill, Charlie, Molly, and Arthur could not be reached for comment.
