How to watch the 'Harry Potter 20th Anniversary' special in the UAE

The highly anticipated television event sees the cast of the film series reunite

Harry Potter fans in the UAE will now be able to watch the highly-anticipated retrospective the same day as it's broadcast on HBO Max in the US. It will be released at midnight on January 1 on HBO Max, and show OSN Streaming at 12.01pm the same day in the UAE.

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts brings back the cast from the film series including its three stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. They will return to the original Hogwarts boarding school sets that were featured in the first film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in some countries) released in November 2001.

Other cast members set to appear include Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), director Chris Columbus as well as more stars from the eight movies.

The special will see the cast reminisce about the Harry Potter films, based on the books by JK Rowling, which are among the most successful film franchises ever made. It will feature in-depth interviews with key cast members as they share their favourite memories from the eight-film series.

Rowling, however, is notably absent from the special. While the author will feature in archive footage that will be shown, it's unclear whether her controversial comments about transgender issues in 2020 were the reason for her absence.

The special also marks 10 years since the release of the final film, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Pt 2.

“This iconic film series touched the hearts and the imagination of so many around the globe in a way that’s never been done before. With this restrospective Harry Potter special of the year, fans can relive some memorable moments and magic spells," said Nick Forward, chief digital and content officer at OSN.

"We get an exclusive glimpse behind-the-scenes that made us all fall in love with the three main characters: Harry, Hermione and Ron. We are very excited and look forward to welcoming fans from across the region."

The TV special is one of several 20th-anniversary events planned by Warner Bros, including a TV quiz contest for Potter fans hosted by Dame Helen Mirren, which will include cameo appearances by some of the cast as well as celebrity fans including comedians Pete Davidson and Jay Leno.

In addition to the exclusive reunion special, the entire Harry Potter movie collection will also be made available on OSN Streaming.

Scroll through the gallery below to see where some of the stars of 'Harry Potter' are today.