Neville Longbottom actor says Hogwarts Legacy made him “fall in love” with Potter world again

Matthew Lewis, the actor who played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movie series, has spoken about Hogwarts Legacy, explaining that it made him “fall in love” with the wizarding world once again after being detached from it for so long.

Hogwarts Legacy came out in February 2023 to a mixed reception. While many long-time Potter fans were delighted to have the opportunity to explore the famous wizarding school in a whole new way, many were also unsure, with reservations over Potter author JK Rowling’s involvement in the production of the game.

Despite that controversy, millions of players bought and loved the game, getting to earn their spot in one of the Hogwarts houses, flying around the scenic grounds, and finding little Easter Eggs, such as Hagrid’s Hut, in the game.

One of those millions was none other than Matthew Lewis, who brought the beloved Neville Longbottom to life from the original film series, and he couldn’t hide how much he loved the game when discussing it at MegaCon Orlando.

Matthew Lewis on Hogwarts Legacy

In an interview with IGN, Lewis was asked about the Hogwarts game — and even claimed that he had Platinum’ed it, meaning he earned every possible trophy in the game.

“That is a game that would be my cup of tea, absolutely,” he explained. “Open-world, RPG elements… It being Harry Potter, because it became kind of a job, you have a kind of detachment from all the things.

“Since I finished the films, I’ve not really engaged very much in the wider world of Harry Potter … [and] it completely reminded me why I became a fan of the books before I became an actor in the film. And I forgot about my day job and was able to just fall in love with the Wizarding World again.”

Thus far, not many of the main cast have spoken up about Hogwarts Legacy much, although Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton did get emotional playing through it.

With the popularity of the game, many have asked whether Hogwarts Legacy will be getting a sequel, and it’s certainly looking possible, with one insider reporting that a follow-up title is already in development.