Potterheads rejoice! With the return of the original cast for the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter, we’ve been blessed with extra behind-the-scenes facts and details that have never been revealed before.
Strap in and get ready to feel a wave of nostalgia—because, in this post, we’re going to be taking a look at our picks of the biggest reveals in the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary!
Fawkes Was An Animatronic!
For those who have seen Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Fawkes was animatronic is not shocking. However, what most fans don’t know is that Fawkes fooled Richard Harris himself! CGI was limited at the time, and practical effects were still the norm back when the movie was still being produced.
It may seem shocking, but Dumbledore, played by the late Richard Harris—actually thought that Fawkes was the real deal. The cast even doubled down on this by making the animatronic respond to the actors even when the tapes weren’t rolling to keep the magic alive!
The Mysterious Floating Candles of the Great Hall
In the first installment of this magical franchise, we get to see how magical Hogwarts truly is in the eyes of our young protagonist as he traverses each room of the academy. The panning shot of the great hall was truly a masterpiece and captured the academy’s prestige.
However, would you believe us if we said that the floating candles looming over the hall were originally real?
Although they were replaced with visual effects because they were a safety hazard, many of the original cast still look fondly on the work of Stuart Craig and how he captured the magic of Hogwarts through his masterful production design.
The One Cursed With Knowledge
As most of you already know, the last Harry Potter book was released in the same year that the Order of the Phoenix was released in theaters. According to Daniel Radcliff, most of the cast were unaware of how the series would end. He then added that the only one who was in the loop was Severus Snape himself, Alan Rickman.
Knowing the ending of the series and how his character would end up allowed Rickman to add extra layers to his Portrayal of Snape. In some scenes, his choice of acting confused many of the cast. But as we all know, it all came together in the end.
Lost Potential in the Deleted Scenes: Lucius Malfoy
Despite the eight movies in the franchise, there was still a lot of lost potential in the character dynamics of some of your favorite personas. Some of the deleted scenes that weren’t released in the final cuts could’ve added a lot more depth to a lot of relationships—one of which was from the Chamber of Secrets.
In this scene, Lucius Malfoy was supposed to be introduced at Knockturn Alley, scolding Draco by slamming down his cane on the boy’s hand. Jason Isaacs underestimated how heavy the cane was in this scene and had to apologize to a teary-eyed young Tom Felton afterward. This scene shows just how much Draco fears his father and would’ve cast down a lot of empathy from the fans.
An Epic Confrontation We Never Saw
The full duel between Sirius and Bellatrix was also axed despite how it took several days for the actors to shoot and practice for this epic confrontation. Although it’s a shame that we’ll never get to see the full bout between the two, it didn’t hurt how well-made the film was at the end of the day.
What were your favorite reveals in the 20th Anniversary special? Do you agree with our list? Tell us in the comment section below, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
Recent Comments