Daniel Radcliffe shares former ‘Harry Potter’ cast reaction to HBO series

HBO is bringing Harry Potter’s world to the TV series, and Daniel Radcliffe is moved by the revival.

Recently, while speaking to PEOPLE, the former Harry Potter star reflected on the upcoming HBO series based on J.K. Rowling’s seven books, reimagined in their own way.

The series will begin production in July with young actors, Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton, portraying Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.

Watching these kids taking on the journey they once took, Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson said it’s “surreal” to see new faces taking on the roles. The original Harry Potter castmembers are processing it together.

Radcliffe shared with PEOPLE that he’s been in contact with Grint and Watson when the news of the new adaptation spread. The trio has been reflecting on “how surreal (it is) to watch people starting off on that journey, all those years later.”

Radcliffe said they haven’t had “a ton of communication about the show specifically,” but all share the same emotional response.

“It’s one of those moments where we just know how the others feel, because we’re feeling it too,” he explained. “You see the pictures of these kids and just want to reach out and hug them. That’s the instinct we all seem to have.”