‘I don’t know a lot about the world…’: How Daniel Radcliffe reacted when he was pitched a ‘Wizard of Oz’ remake

Daniel Radcliffe, ‘the boy who lived’, has heard some wild pitches over the years, but one stands out as especially strange; so much so that he still remembers it over two decades later. Recently, Daniel opened up about a cheeky instance and laughed about a bizarre idea someone once threw at him during the height of ‘Harry Potter’ mania: a ‘Wizard of Oz’ remake! Yes, a ‘Wizard of Oz’ remake, starring himself, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.

His response? Read on to know all about that.

What Daniel Radcliffe revealed

On a February 2026 episode of ‘Hot Ones’, Daniel shared a fun story from over 20 years back. Radcliffe revealed that back when he, Watson, and Grint were deep into filming the ‘Harry Potter’ movies (eight in total, from 2001 to 2011), and they became global stars, that level of fame brought plenty of weird offers. However, the ‘Wizard of Oz’ remake pitch still takes the cake.

As Radcliffe told it, the pitch involved all three of them stepping into the iconic roles from the 1939 classic. Emma would play Dorothy, Rupert would play...well, he couldn’t remember, but Radcliffe was supposed to be the Cowardly Lion. Except this Lion did karate. “I was like a karate-kicking Cowardly Lion,” he said, shaking his head at the memory. He was only about 14 or 15 at the time, but even then, he knew it was a terrible idea.

In his own words: “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 never jumped onto the remake bandwagon; rather, he shuffled between blockbusters, indie movies, and theater, never afraid to call something out when it’s just not right.

Notably, the Oz remake idea never went anywhere, and the Harry Potter trio never reunited onscreen after the series wrapped up.

‘The Wizard of Oz’: What is it?

For anyone who somehow missed it, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is a 1939 musical fantasy based on L. Frank Baum’s book. As for the story, Dorothy Gale gets swept away to Oz by a tornado, makes friends with a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion, and tries to get home while dodging the Wicked Witch of the West. It’s a classic: it’s full of famous songs, colorful characters, and the kind of story that sticks with people for generations.

Daniel Radcliffe: What’s he doing now?

As for Radcliffe, the ‘Harry Potter’ star is keeping busy these days. He’s currently promoting his new NBC comedy, ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’, which dropped in early 2026. Not long before, he was in ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ alongside Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez.

Additionally, when asked about the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, Radcliffe shared some advice for fans and the media: let the new cast have some space. “If you really mean it when you say you want to look after these kids, then one of the things you can do is not ask about me, Emma, and Rupert all the time,” he told ScreenRant.


Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”