A couple of weeks ago, the internet was flooded by Harry Potter fans posting lengthy tributes to Emma Watson, expressing their heartbreak and dismay over the erstwhile Hermione Granger’s retirement from acting, although they were all keen to stress that they completely understood and respected her decision.
Of course, the only problem was that she hadn’t retired at all, with her manager even having to release a statement denying that the actress had ended her career at the age of just 30. Yes, it seems that in an incredible turn of events that nobody could have possibly seen coming, social media jumped the gun and widely accepted a headline from the notoriously unreliable British tabloid The Daily Mail as fact.
Having grown up in front of the cameras and remained in the public eye for over two decades, Watson is well within her rights to take an extended sabbatical from Hollywood, even if it’s reportedly causing some issues behind the scenes at Warner Bros. Rumors have been making the rounds that say a new Harry Potter movie is in active development at the studio, which is admittedly something we’ve gotten used to hearing over the last few years. And apparently, the actress is proving to be a holdout, with the top brass finding it difficult to twist her arm and convince her to sign on.
That being said, this news comes hot on the heels of a conflicting story that says WB are developing a standalone Harry Potter spinoff for Hermione, for which she might return. Given her low public profile, not to mention the sheer volume of chatter that surrounds such a popular franchise, it’s best not taking anything at face value until either Watson herself breaks the silence, or the studio officially announce some concrete plans. Still, it seems Warner Bros. are definitely cooking something up behind the scenes for Potter fans.
