‘I hope you have an even better time’: Daniel Radcliffe’s letter cheers on new Harry Potter

Daniel Radcliffe has made the Harry Potter reboot a little more magical by personally welcoming Dominic McLaughlin — the franchise’s new “Boy Who Lived” — with a handwritten letter of support.

During an appearance on an American show, Radcliffe revealed that he reached out soon after McLaughlin landed the role. “I wrote to Dominic and sent him a letter, and he sent me a very sweet note back,” he said.

Radcliffe stressed he doesn’t expect the next Harry to feel obligated to contact him. “I wouldn't say that anyone who is going to play Harry has to [reach out to me], but I know a few people working on the production,” he explained.

He said his message came from a place of encouragement, not oversight. “I just wanted to write to him to say, ‘I hope you have the best time, and an even better time than I did — I had a great time, but I hope you have an even better time.’”

Seeing photos of McLaughlin and the other young cast members has made Radcliffe both nostalgic and protective. “I just want to hug them. They just seem so young,” he said. “I just look at them and say, ‘Oh, it's crazy I was doing that at that age.’ But it's also incredibly sweet, and I hope they're having a great time.”

McLaughlin leads the new series alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione and Alastair Stout as Ron. Filming began in July, with John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu, Johnny Flynn and Bel Powley rounding out the adult cast.

HBO plans to launch the Harry Potter series in 2027.