Sorry, Harry Potter fans. It looks like Daniel Radcliffe won't be reprising his role as the beloved boy wizard on the big screen.
On Tuesday, J.K. Rowling instantly ignited a burst of excitement in each and every Hogwarts enthusiast after it was announced that the bestselling author has published a new Harry Potter story on her website, Pottermore.
The post, which has been penned nearly seven years after Rowling published the final book in her seven-part series, centers around the reunion of Harry Potter and his friends at the Quidditch World Cup Finals.
But of course, fans of the series instantly began speculating whether a film adaptation of Rowling's new narrative could possibly be in the works, and when Radcliffe attended a press event for the Television Critics Association on Tuesday to promote his role in A Young Doctor's Notebook And Other Stories, he was asked whether he hopes to have any further involvement in the wildly-popular film series.
"My inclination is to say no," the 24-year-old actor replied. "I don't think it's a question that's even – not even hypothetical."
He continued: "As I understand, it's a very short piece, not of itself worthy of adaptation to film."
In the story, written in the voice of the fictional The Daily Prophet's gossip columnist Rita Skeeter, the titular hero is now in his early thirties with a mysterious cut on his cheek, as well as "a couple of threads of silver" in his hair. He is married to Ron Weasley's sister, Ginny, who is now a journalist. Ron is, of course, married to Hermione Granger, and Rita observes that his "famous ginger hair appears to be thinning slightly."
Radcliffe added that the elder Potter is "at least 12 years older than I am now. I don't think I'll have to worry about that for a long time."
This isn't the first time Radcliffe has opened up about his desire to separate himself from the wizarding world. He previously opened up about his efforts to prove himself after playing Mr. Potter for years—and admitted that it hasn't always been easy.
"I have to accept the fact that my face is going to remind people of Harry because I played that character. If I try to avoid being expressive in that same way, all I'll do is stop being expressive, and I won't be any farther away from that character," he said in a profile on the star in the New York Times Magazine, appropriately titled "Harry Who?"
"When you fall into something at age 11 and get paid incredible amounts of money for your entire teenage years for doing a job anyone would want, there is a part of you that thinks everybody is just saying, 'He got there because he fell into it; he's not really an actor," he continued. "It has taken a long time to feel like I've earned the place that I'm at."