Why A Neville-Centric Movie Might Never Happen

With the world of Harry Potter expanding as rapidly as it is, it's easy to imagine that the beloved story will never truly end — that instead, it'll just keep growing, with more movies, plays, and Pottermore entries always on the way. After all, right now, there's Fantastic Beasts coming in November, The Cursed Child opening in previews, and new pieces of info (or occasionally, apologies) about the Potter universe arriving practically every day from JK Rowling. Yet even if the wizarding world continues to grow, there's one Potter-centric story that likely won't be arriving anytime soon: that of Hogwarts student and almost-Boy Who Lived Neville Longbottom.

"I don’t think that I would want to go back to that," Matthew Lewis, who portrayed Neville in the Potter movies, tells Bustle. "Right now, it’s not something that I would be wanting to revisit."

Potter fans hoping to finally get a story specifically about Neville, the awkward but lovable friend of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, might be disappointed by Lewis' comments; there's no question that Neville's personality, family life, and near-prophecy fulfilling nature would make for a fascinating tale. Yet Lewis is adamant that Neville's story ended in a strong way, and that he, at least, doesn't currently feel the need to revisit the character all these years later.

"I just very much feel that that’s a part of my life that I’ve left behind now," Lewis explains. "It’s not that I have lost any love for it or the character or anything. It’s just after 10 years, I feel like I did everything I could. I took Neville’s story arc and did what I could with it, and I’m very happy with how it came to a conclusion."

Still, Lewis says he can't say "absolutely not" to reprising his role as Neville one day. If Rowling were to write a compelling, worthwhile story about the character, then the actor would at least consider taking it on.

"If you ask me again in five years, if someone sent me an amazing script, then by all means, there’s a good chance I’d say yes," he says. "Obviously anything that Jo writes would be amazing, and so I would look at it."

And, he adds, "if the world of Harry Potter is being continually grown and fleshed out like it is, then obviously I’d want the character to be there. I don’t see any reason why there can’t be — the avenue is definitely open."

Well, seeing as the Potter world is growing at an exponential rate these days, it's very possible that Rowling might eventually decide to share stories focusing on the series' supporting characters, like Neville, and that Lewis will have the opportunity to get on-board. It may not happen right away — as Lewis points out, Rowling is a bit busy at the moment writing the Fantastic Beasts trilogy and preparing for Cursed Child — but a few years down the line? Anything's possible, and if there's one thing the Potter series taught its fans, it's to never, ever give up hope.

Image: Warner Bros