It’s no secret that there’s a lot of magic going on in the Harry Potter films, both on-screen and off. Luckily nowadays we’re able to go behind the scenes of the making of Harry Potter and see just how that peculiar brand of magic came to life, but there are still a few secrets lingering around one of the world’s most beloved movie franchises.
To that we say ‘lumos’ and bring to light six fun facts you might not know about this bewitching series of films.
1. Emma Watson didn’t actually want to play Hermione at first
It’s reported that Emma Watson auditioned for the role of Hermione after some goading from her schoolteacher, only ever going along for fun. The Harry Potter casting team scoured elementary schools across the UK for young talent and Watson was their last audition of that day. Rupert Grint, on the other hand, took the chance to audition very seriously indeed, sending in a video in which he both rapped and pretended to be his female drama teacher – now that’s something we’d love to see!
2. The kittens in Dolores Umbridge’s office were real
Dolores Umbridge leaped onto the scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, complete with her signature high-pitched laugh and unwavering affection for cats. The latter of which was highlighted through the assortment of plates found on her office walls, although a little-known fact is that those cats were actually real. The crew brought 40 cats in for the shoot, then adopted them out to unsuspecting pet owners that would likely never know of their kitten fame.
3. All the exterior shots of Hogwarts were actually images of a model
It took seven months and 40 incredibly patient artists to create the mini model of Hogwarts that was used for exterior shots. The details making up this imposing building’s bridges, turrets and walkways were all hands painted, including every shingle you see on the school’s many roofs.
4. Daniel Radcliffe went through 160 pairs of glasses while filming the eight films
Perhaps unsurprising, seeing as Harry isn’t exactly delicate with his glasses even at the best of times. Radcliffe also went through nearly 80 wands in total and had to have his iconic lightning bolt scar applied to his forehead more than 5,000 times we just hope the makeup artist had a steady hand!
5. Harry Potter’s casting was full of shoulda-coulda-woulda actors and directors
It’s rumoured that a number of actors in the Harry Potter franchise were second choices for their roles, leading us fans to wonder just what the movies might have looked like had the original castings gone through. Hugh Grant was originally cast as Gilderoy Lockhart, Haley Joel Osment was rumoured to have been favoured for Harry, Ian McKellen for Dumbledore and Tilda Swinton for Professor Trelawney. Stephen Spielberg was even signed on to direct Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, but eventually turned the film down, citing that it wasn’t enough of a challenge for him.
6. The paintings in Hogwarts’ stairwell were modeled after crew members
Many of the faces depicted in the paintings hanging around Hogwarts are of the people responsible for creating the Harry Potter films. It’s rumored that director Chris Columbus didn’t want a painting of himself included, but the art department surprised him with his very own portrait anyway
What do you think of these FAB facts? I certainly didn’t know any of that but discovering them has been fantastic! Do you know more interesting facts about the films? Are you also a fan? Please leave a comment below as I would love to read what you think.
*Disclosure: Collaborative post
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Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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