United Kingdom, Feb. 23 -- Daniel Radcliffe admits it feels "surreal" seeing the new child stars stepping into the Harry Potter franchise.

The 36-year-old actor became a household name when he first landed the titular role - which he played for a decade - in the Philosopher's Stone back in 2001, and he's been in touch with former castmates Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) about seeing a new generation take on the beloved characters in HBO's upcoming reboot.

He told PEOPLE magazine that they've been reflected on "how surreal [it is] to watch people starting off on that journey, all those years later".

He added: "We have all said, you know, you just see pictures of these kids and you just want to grab them an...