Unveiling the Dark Secrets: Hidden Truths Behind the Magical World of Harry Potter
The Messenger Owls Were Trained
In the first film, one of the opening scenes is of Harry Potter getting a boatload of acceptance letters from Hogwarts via messenger owls. While the production crew could have used CGI for the owls, they opted to train them instead.
It took them months to train all of the owls, and they even went ahead and handwrote all of the letters, too.
Steven Spielberg Was Initially Brought In To Direct
When production on the first Harry Potter film got underway, director Steven Spielberg was brought in to lead the project. After a few months of production, he dropped out, saying he wasn’t ready to make a film based solely on kids.
It was then that Christopher Columbus was brought in. He would go on to direct Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets.
Gary Oldman Took The Job Because He Needed Money
Before being cast as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, actor Gary Oldman hadn’t taken on a big blockbuster project in years. He wanted to spend more time with his family.
One of the reasons he took the role was because he needed the money. According to Oldman, he was “surprised by how difficult it [the role] was to pull off.”
Daniel Radcliffe’s Parents Didn’t Want Him Auditioning
After seeing Daniel Radcliffe’s performance in David Copperfield, director Christopher Columbus knew he’d found his title character for Harry Potter. Sadly, there were a few speed bumps.
Initially, Radcliffe’s parents did not want their son auditioning for the role of Harry Potter. They were very protective and did not want him in the media’s eye. Eventually, they gave in, and the rest is history.
The House Names Were Thought Up On A Plane
The four Hogwarts house names weren’t something J.K. Rowling thought up right away. In fact, she was actually traveling on an airplane when all four of the names popped into her head.
To ensure she didn’t forget the names, Rowling jotted them down on a sick bag because she had no paper!
Dobby’s Ears Were Designed After A Certain Dog
When designing Dobby the House Elf, the design team decided to base his ears on a certain member of the crew.
Dobby’s pointed and yet floppy ears were based on Max, the art department dog that sat under one of the designer’s desks during the duration of the second Harry Potter film.
Tom Felton’s Robes Were Sewn Shut
While filming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Tom Felton, the actor who plays Draco Malfoy, had a bad habit of sneaking food on set, namely in the pockets of his Hogwarts robes.
To prevent the young actor from sneaking in food, the costume department was told to sew the pockets of his robes shut!
Jason Issacs Made A Few Changes To His Character
The original concept for Lucius Malfoy did not bode well with actor Jason Issacs. At first, designers had him wearing a pinstriped suit and having short black-and-white hair, a “muggle appearance,” according to Issacs.
It was Issacs’s idea to give his character long blonde hair and the walking stick to pull his wand from, an idea director Chris Columbus loved.
Ralph Fiennes Did Not Wear “Nose Make-Up”
One of the Dark Lord’s defining features (or not defining) is the fact that he has no nose, making him appear as a serpent. While the make-up department could have used prosthetics or some kind of practical effect to remove actor Ralph Fiennes’s nose, they didn’t.
Instead, his nose was digitally removed in post-production.
Harry Melling Had To Wear A Fat Suit
Between filming the Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban, actor Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley) lost a lot of weight. His appearance looked so different from the previous two films; he was almost recast!
Eventually, it was decided they would stick with Melling and have him wear a fat suit.
Tom Felton Didn’t Originally Audition For Draco Malfoy
When Tom Felton first went to audition for Harry Potter, he actually went for the role of the title character as well as his best friend, Ron Weasley. Of course, those roles would go to Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint.
Eventually, Felton was offered the iconic role of Draco Malfoy.
