HBO fixes Harry Potter reunion special after fans spot series of mistakes

New version now includes correct childhood photo of Emma Watson and the right nametags for the Phelps twins

HBO Max has shared a new version of the reunion special Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts after fans and cast members alerted the streaming giant to mistakes in the original.

Shortly after the one-off show’s release on New Year’s Day, many Twitter users pointed out that a picture of actor Emma Roberts was used during a segment about Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the franchise.

“Well spotted Harry Potter fans!” the special’s producers responded in a statement. “You brought an editing mistake of a mislabeled photograph to our attention. New version is up now.”

A second error was spotted by Harry Potter star Oliver Phelps, who played George, one of the Weasley twins.

The original version of the special had misidentified the actor as his identical twin brother, James Phelps – who played the other Weasley sibling, Fred – and vice versa.

“I guess after all those pranks over the years somebody decided to get their revenge,” Oliver Phelps quipped on Instagram. “It was fantastic to be part of the HP reunion. Hope you all enjoyed it.”

Tom Felton, who portrayed Draco Malfoy in the films, jokingly wrote in the comment section: “It was my doing.” He added a snake and lion emoji to symbolise the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor, the Hogwarts houses of the Malfoy and Weasley clans.

The Weasley twins

(YouTube / Warner Bros)

“This is legit hilarious,” added Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom. “Dude. Wtf? Haha.”

The new version, now available on HBO Max, includes the correct labels for the Phelps twins.

Return to Hogwarts celebrates 20 years since the first Harry Potter film was released in 2001. It features interviews and conversations between the cast about the making of the films, the relationships that developed on and off-screen, and the global significance of the franchise.

Earlier this week, fans joyfully reacted to Watson recounting the moment she “fell in love” with her Harry Potter co-star Felton.

In her four-star review for The Independent, Roisin O’Connor wrote that the most “magical” moments in Return to Hogwarts were spawned from the younger cast candidly describing their experiences on-set.