Interesting facts about "Harry Potter": film, actors, shooting and history of creation

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

It seems that there is no such person who has not heard of Harry Potter. Many (even adults) have read books, let alone watched movies. However, as is often the case, most of the filming is behind the scenes for even the most dedicated fans. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to refresh the memory of the entire franchise, at the same time learning new interesting facts about Harry Potter.

Start of film adaptation

It's hard to believe now, but when J. K. Rowling sold the film rights to her books, she received only a million pounds in bonuses. Then it seemed like a worthy price, since the "Potteriad" had not yet become a global phenomenon. However, even then, Rowling achieved a lot of control over the filming. In particular, she insisted that all the actors in the film be of British origin. For this reason, many performers came to the franchise from the stage.

The director of the first two parts was Chris Columbus, but Steven Spielberg claimed this place for a long time. But the eminent director did not agree with the studio. He wanted to make a cartoon, when it did not suit the companyand author.

Philosopher's Stone

The role of Albus Dumbledore was vacant for a long time due to the fact that Richard Harris, who was called to the project from the very beginning, noticeably hesitated in his decision. He turned down the role three times until his eleven-year-old granddaughter found out about it. She had read Harry Potter and was a fan of Rowling's novels. The girl threatened her grandfather that she would never speak to him again if he did not act. Harris eventually agreed to become Dumbledore.

Interesting facts about Harry Potter are associated primarily with the huge success of this franchise. This is especially noticeable in Britain, where JK Rowling herself is from. For example, after the first film, it was noted that the British began to buy a huge number of owls in order to care for them as pets. In the story, Harry has Hedwig, who delivers letters and lives in a special room at Hogwarts. But real owls are completely unadapted to life in domestic human conditions, so many birds bought on the wave of "Potteromania" eventually surrendered or were released into the wild.

Interesting facts from the filming of Harry Potter were supplemented by the same release. Warner Brothers, after releasing the film in the US, gave it a non-original title. This was due to the first edition of the book in the West under the title "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" ("Sorcerer's", not "Philosopher's").

Chamber of Secrets

For the second part, Hogwarts Castle was "rebuilt". Interesting facts about Harry Potter can be found here. In some scenes, a high-quality layout of a large size was used. For this, 40 specialists were used, who worked for 7 months. The layout was changed in the following parts, depending on the plot twists. For example, in the third film, a prison tower was added. Natural shooting was carried out against the backdrop of the Enik castle. Next to it is a playground where the Quidditch field was recreated. Now this place is actively visited by tourists, so many decorations are not specially cleaned.

In the second film, the ghost of Moaning Mitrl appeared - a Hogwarts student who tragically died several decades ago. The spirit retained the appearance and voice of the 13-year-old. However, Shirley Henderson, who played this role, was an order of magnitude older - she was 37.

Prisoner of Azkaban

The film became a turning point in the sense that the director of the first two parts left the project. Instead, Alfonso Cuarón was appointed. He was known for his unconventional approach to the filming process. For example, the director instructed the three main actors to write autobiographical essays on behalf of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Radcliffe and Watson completed their task, while Rupert Green refused. When the director asked the actor why he would not write an essay, he replied that Ron in his place would never do this. For this, he received praise from Cuarón, who said that Green felt good about his character.

Unfortunately, on the eve of filming prematurelyDumbledore's Richard Harris has passed away. His place was taken by another Irish actor - Michael Gambon. The role was in high demand due to the success of the series. One of the candidates was Christopher Lee. Ian McKellen was also offered the role, but he refused, arguing that he had already played the wizard Gandalf in the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Interestingly, Christopher Lee was also the sorcerer Saruman there. Another failed castling was an invitation to take the place of director Guillermo Del Toro. The eminent director decided to take on another project - Hellboy. As a result, Alfonso Cuaron was invited.

Another interesting fact about the actors of Harry Potter is that it was in the "Prisoner" that several important new characters appeared. For example, the godfather of the sorcerer Sirius Black. He was played by the famous Gary Oldman, known for such tapes of the 90s as "Dracula" and "Leon".

But the interesting facts about Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban do not end there. Remus Lupine, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, also appeared here. The role was entrusted to David Thewlis. The funny thing is that he already tried to get into the "Potteriad" during the casting for the first film. Then he auditioned for the position of Professor Quirrell, but the place went to Ian Hart. And now, a few years later, Thewlis still ended up in the project, while getting the role of a more important and long-lived character.

The village of Hogsmeade appears in the film, where the students go for the weekend. It was filmed in Gotland, inNorth Yorkshire.

Goblet of Fire

Many interesting facts about Harry Potter from the book didn't make it into the movie. This was due to the large volume of the novel. For example, the house elves from Hogwarts were not included in the film. However, the director decided to do a little scene with them.

So continued Harry Potter. Interesting facts about the actors can be supplemented by the fact that Joanne Rowling herself flashed in the film adaptation. She played the cheerleader who sat behind Hagrd during the first mission.

Order of the Phoenix

The filming process was interrupted for about a month because Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson had to take final exams in their schools. Warner Brothers had to reschedule, causing the studio to lose about $5 million.

Special attention of all viewers was attracted by the fate of the new odious character Dolores Umbridge. Even the legendary Stephen King responded to her, calling the teacher "the greatest fictional villain, comparable to Hannibal Lecter." Ian McKellen also received a cameo appearance as a shadow in False Moody's Enemy Maker.

Half-Blood Prince

As in previous films, a large number of scenes inside Hogwarts were filmed on the premises of Oxford University - the oldest in England. For example, in one of his colleges, there was the very hall where the selection of students was carried out. Scenes with stairs were filmed in the same place, while about two hundred were specially drawn."magic" pictures, which were then enlivened with the help of visual effects. Some of them depict direct members of the team that filmed the movie.

In general, Hogwarts locations are scattered throughout the UK. For example, Hagrid's hut was filmed in Scotland, in an isolated valley with amazing nature. For the giant himself, a tall understudy was found. But the Forbidden Forest (where Snape runs away in the final) is very close to London (32 kilometers).

Deathly Hallows Part One

The last Harry Potter book was filmed in two parts. This decision was made in order not to cut important scenes and storylines. The result was two full-fledged films with a very intense development of events.

Interesting facts about the film "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" meet the viewer already at the Ministry of Magic, where three friends get incognito in order to steal the Horcrux locket. Russian viewers can recognize the Moscow metro in these halls, whose decoration served as an inspiration for the specialists in charge of visual effects and sets.

In particular, the main production designer later admitted that when creating the scenery, he was guided by the architecture of the Stalin era. It was during these years that the first metro lines were launched, they were made in a pompous style. There are other references to Soviet culture in the film as well, such as the anti-Mudblood propaganda posters reminiscent of anti-bourgeois propaganda.

Deathly Hallows Part Two

In the scene when Harry found Ravenclaw's diadem, he ran into Malfoy and his friends. According to the book, one of them, Vincent Crabbe, died from an inadvertently cast hellfire spell. However, in the movie it happened to another Slytherin student, Gregory Goyle. Crabbe was not in the scene at all. The reason for this was the arrest of Jamie Waylett, the actor who played Vincent in all previous parts. He went to jail for growing cannabis illegally. The team that shot the film decided not to look for a replacement for Crabbe, but to "kill" another character similar to him.

The last film was a success in cinemas around the world. To date, this is the seventh tape in the list of the highest grossing premieres. The eighth film was the only one in the "Potteriad", which collected more than a billion dollars.

The scale can be confirmed by other facts. For example, over 400 extras were used to film the final battle. It was scenes of death eaters and beleaguered Hogwarts students.

Interesting facts about Harry Potter in this part also apply to the main actors. For example, the performer of the role of Draco Malfoy ensured that in the epilogue the role of his wife went to his own real girlfriend. As you know, the final scene shows the future in 19 years. What other interesting facts about the characters of Harry Potter are there? So, for example, the effect of "aging" was achieved by makeup and visual effects. And much more - you can't list them all.