SOLO VICTORY: WATSON LEAVES RIVALS IN THE ROTTEN DUST
The myth of the eternal, equally successful Harry Potter trio is a complete sham! A harsh look at the post-Hogwarts careers of the young cast reveals a brutal truth: Emma Watson stands alone, having starred in the only universally acclaimed, certified-hit movie since Deathly Hallows Part wrapped. That movie? The period drama, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, which currently boasts a staggering percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
While the Wizarding World catapulted Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint into household names, only Watson has managed to successfully blend blockbuster financial success with critical adoration. Her $. billion-grossing Beauty and the Beast remake and the stunning success of Little Women have made her the undeniable biggest breakout star of the entire franchise by a considerable margin.
Radcliffe and Grint, meanwhile, are left chasing offbeat, often forgotten projects that, while “ambitious,” simply haven’t paid off. The critical success of Little Women serves as a massive, embarrassing signpost confirming Watson’s superior career trajectory.
RADCLIFFE’S BIZARRE BETS AND GRINT’S LOW-KEY GIGS
While Emma Watson was securing massive financial and critical success, her male co-stars adopted highly questionable career strategies:
Daniel Radcliffe: The Indie Eccentric
Radcliffe, determined to shed the hero image, has spent his considerable star power elevating “numerous ambitious, offbeat projects.” Yes, he earned some critical acclaim for films like Swiss Army Man and Kill Your Darlings, but these are the very definition of small-scale indies. Few of his post-Harry Potter movies have even come close to sniffing the commercial success of Watson’s blockbusters. His biggest mainstream successes—like the widely panned Playmobil: The Movie—have been critically ignored or commercial duds. He prioritized “stranger projects” over winning.
Rupert Grint: The Quiet Retreat
Grint’s career has been an even bigger snooze-fest. The Ron Weasley actor largely “laid low for a few years,” eventually settling into smaller roles in television shows like Servant and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, and an ensemble role in ’s Knock at the Cabin. This strategic retreat meant he completely sidestepped the critical pressures of major film roles, choosing safety over stardom. While smart for his personal life, it reinforces his status as the least successful member of the leading trio.
The disparity is clear: Watson aimed for the stars and hit a target with Little Women; her male co-stars either crashed or stayed firmly on the ground.
Radcliffe’s choices are weird. Grint’s choices are non-existent. Emma Watson knew exactly what she was doing: secure the bag with Disney, then win the Oscar buzz with Greta Gerwig. She’s the only one who played the Hollywood game right.
THE STAR POWER CONUNDRUM: WHY WATSON WINS
Watson became the biggest breakout star by mastering the ultimate Hollywood balancing act. She didn’t shy away from her fame; she weaponized it. Her filmography includes:
- The massive, cash-cow success of Beauty and the Beast ($. billion box office).
- The satirical edge of The Bling Ring.
- The critically praised coming-of-age drama The Perks of Being A Wallflower.
- A controversial, yet successful, role in the divisive biblical epic Noah.
This deliberate mix of “serious dramas… with bigger blockbuster fare” allowed her to maintain her visibility, her bank account, and her critical standing. She proved she had a sense of humor with her successful cameo in This Is The End, something Radcliffe, despite his risk-taking, often failed to capture.
The success of Little Women—a starry ensemble including Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Meryl Streep—solidifies her place among Hollywood’s elite, proving she can hold her own against Oscar-level talent. Gerwig’s masterful adaptation, which critics praised for its “warmth, humor, and verve,” gave Watson the perfect vehicle to secure her critical crown.
CLIFFHANGER: WILL RADCLIFFE AND GRINT EVER CATCH UP?
Emma Watson is resting comfortably on her critical throne, holding the undisputed record for the best post-Harry Potter movie from the young cast. Her success with Little Women is a high bar that Radcliffe and Grint have yet to even approach in the years since the franchise ended.
The question is: will her male co-stars, tired of chasing eccentric indies and low-key television gigs, finally launch a desperate, coordinated attempt to catch up? Or will the shadow of Hermione Granger’s success continue to loom over the entire trio, confirming that only Watson had the foresight to secure a real Hollywood legacy? We’re waiting for the next shocking career move that attempts to challenge her supremacy!
