Daniel Radcliffe recalls rejecting Wizard of Oz remake for Harry Potter trio

Daniel Radcliffe has recalled rejecting what he described as “one of the worst ideas” he was ever pitched during his time on Harry Potter, a remake of The Wizard of Oz starring the franchise’s leading trio.

Speaking on Hot Ones ahead of his Broadway return in Every Brilliant Thing and the premiere of comedy The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins, Radcliffe was asked about unusual proposals he had received.

The actor, who has taken on varied roles since Harry Potter, including parts in Swiss Army Man and Guns Akimbo, said one suggestion stood out.

“One of the worst ideas that I’ve ever heard: During Potter, somebody came to us and, I think, asked — like they wanted to cast all three of us — me, Emma [Watson] and Rupert [Grint] — in a remake of Wizard of Oz, where Emma was Dorothy, I can’t remember what Rupert was and I just remember I was going to be the lion, but also, he knew karate. I was like a karate-kicking Cowardly Lion,” Radcliffe said.

He added: “I was like 14 or 15, and I was like, ‘I don’t know a lot about the world, but this is a bad idea. This should not be made.'”

Radcliffe was recently seen in the live-filmed version of Merrily We Roll Along, released in December, alongside Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez.

As production begins on the new Harry Potter reboot series, Radcliffe has written to Dominic McLaughlin, who will take on the role of Harry.

He said he did not “want to be a spectre in the life of these children” but sent a note saying, “‘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.’”