Daniel Radcliffe just revealed that Harry Potter fans almost got the strangest crossover in movie history—a Wizard of Oz remake starring him, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.
During a February 2026 appearance on Hot Ones, Radcliffe shared that someone once pitched the idea of casting the original Harry Potter trio in a reimagined Wizard of Oz. Watson was reportedly set to play Dorothy, while Radcliffe was offered the role of the Cowardly Lion—with a wildly unexpected twist. Instead of a timid feline, his version would have been a karate-fighting Lion. Radcliffe admitted he can’t remember which character Grint was supposed to play, but he vividly recalled the “karate-kicking Cowardly Lion” concept.
The actor said he was just 14 or 15 at the time, still deeply immersed in filming the Harry Potter franchise. Even at that young age, Radcliffe knew the idea wasn’t exactly cinematic gold. He joked that despite his limited life experience at the time, he immediately recognized the pitch as something that probably should never make it to the big screen.
Radcliffe also weighed in on HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter reboot series, which has cast Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Alastair Stout as Ron, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione. In a recent interview, Radcliffe urged fans to give the new trio space and stop constantly comparing them to the original cast. He said he doesn’t want to be a “looming presence” in their lives and hopes the young actors are allowed to carve out their own legacy. Radcliffe added that he sincerely hopes they enjoy the experience and believes the new Harry has every chance to surpass him.
