When author JK Rowling revealed last month that she had not ruled out writing more Harry Potter books, it was the news that millions of fans of the boy wizard were longing to hear. But not, it seems, the actor whose face has become synonymous with the magical tales: Daniel Radcliffe said yesterday that he would be unlikely to reprise the role in any future films.
Last month Rowling said on The Oprah Winfrey Show she could "definitely write an eighth, ninth [and] 10th book", adding: "I think I am done but you never know."
Upon hearing the news, Radcliffe appeared mortified. "Oh God, she promised me categorically that there wouldn't be another book involving Harry," he told Sky News, adding that he was "very doubtful" about playing the character again once the two final films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows parts one and two, had found their way into cinemas. "I think 10 years is a long time to spend with one character," he said.
Meanwhile, co-star Emma Watson, who was recently reported to be Hollywood's highest-paid female, revealed she might consider walking away from acting altogether once the films were complete.
"It like happened when I was very young and this was one role and it transformed the whole of my life but it doesn't necessarily mean that this is what's going to make me happy," she said. "I want to be able to explore a few other things as well."
Part one of the final instalment premieres tomorrow night in London, and arrives in cinemas on November 19. It is the first Potter film that is not set for the most part at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and sees the young wizard and his friends Ron and Hermione embarking on a quest to destroy the evil Lord Voldemort once and for all.
