Impressed with Watson's ability to be direct but still appealing, the producers settled on her for the part. It also helped that she shared an instant chemistry with Radcliffe and Rupert Grint (who was cast to play Harry's best friend Ron Weasley). While the youngster remains uncertain about pursuing acting as a full-time profession and was left with little time to pursue other roles due to the back-to-back nature of filming the franchise before the young actors outgrew their roles, Watson reprised Hermione in the sequels "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002) and the slightly darker "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004). She of course reprised Hermione for “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005), the first installment to be directed by a fellow Brit (Mike Newell), and was set to star in the next sequel, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (set for release in 2007).