Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are getting the “Heated Rivalry” treatment.
“Stranger Things” star Finn Wolfhard and comedian Ben Marshall poked fun at both “Harry Potter” and “Heated Rivalry” during a racy pre-taped “Saturday Night Live” sketch this weekend.
The bit, titled “Heated Wizardry,” spoofed HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series before taking a sudden and heated turn.
“Coming soon to HBO, the beloved wizarding world of ‘Harry Potter’ makes its television debut,” the sketch began with a voiceover as Wolfhard’s Harry and Marshall’s Ron crossed paths on their first day at Hogwarts. “With an all-new story hastily written after the success of a certain other HBO show…”
“You dropped your wand. It’s lovely, by the way,” Marshall’s character said, as Wolfhard responded: “I’d love to see yours sometime.”
The “SNL” sketch went on to spotlight the pair’s Quidditch rivalry and behind-the-scenes romance – paralleling Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams’ hockey rivalry and secret romance as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander in “Heated Rivalry.”
“Hermione, what’s the spell to make something bigger?” Wolfhard’s Harry asked as he and Marshall’s Ron fooled around underneath an invisibility cloak.
“I couldn’t catch the snitch,” Wolfhard’s Harry said during another scene while in the locker room after a Quidditch match.
“You caught something more important, my attention,” Marshall responded before Wolfhard cast Expelliarmus – a disarming charm – on the towel around Marshall’s waist.
The “Heated Wizardry” sketch also featured James Austin Johnson as Severus Snape, Chloe Fineman as Hermione, Ashley Padilla as Professor McGonagall, Kenan Thompson as Alastor “Mad Eye” Moody – and a surprise appearance by Jason Momoa as Hagrid.
“You’re a homo, Harry,” Momoa’s character said, parodying the classic line, “You’re a wizard, Harry.”
Besides the voiceover “making it clear” that the characters were “all 18+ in this” because “Hogwarts is like college now,” a fake quote from “Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling revealed that she was “not a part of this.”
The latest “SNL” episode, meanwhile, marked Wolfhard’s first time hosting the popular Lorne Michaels-created sketch comedy.
During the actor’s opening monologue, his “Stranger Things” co-stars Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo made surprise appearances to help commemorate the end of the Netflix hit, which concluded on Dec. 31 after five seasons and nearly 10 years.
“I know a lot of people still see me as the kid from ‘Stranger Things,’ right?” Wolfhard said. “But I’m 23 now, and I’m proud to officially announce that I am a man.”
“Meet the new me, the man me. ‘Stranger Things’ is over, and I’m not a kid anymore,” he added.
McLaughlin, 24, and Matarazzo, 23, then stepped onto the “SNL” stage.
“And neither are we!” they said to cheers from the audience.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
