Cinema and TV series
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25.12.16 13:33
The new “film excursion” into the world of magicians “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” has already earned $720 million, but remember incredible success"Potterians"! Only the third part (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) failed to enter the top 50 highest-grossing films of all time. But the fantasy “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II” managed to take 8th place in this rating and is one of 26 films that have grossed more than $1 billion.
The studio spent more than 1.3 billion dollars on the Potter series, but these investments paid off - the total box office of the eight films exceeded the bar of 6.5 billion dollars. But what was going on behind the scenes? Let's reveal a few secrets from the Harry Potter set.
Beech as Whomping Willow
Trees can become movie stars too! This happened in the case of the beech from the Ashridge estate (the tree was several hundred years old). This “veteran” became famous for his role as the Whomping Willow, which Ron’s father’s flying car crashes into in the film “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” Unfortunately, the tree has since collapsed due to age and fungal rot. The beech tree was also the "model" for other films that required a giant tree. By the way, during the filming of the accident scene that Ron and Harry got into, 15 Ford Anglias were destroyed.
The Troubles of Dudley Dursley
Do you remember how much weight Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) lost and stretched? The same metamorphosis befell actor Harry Melling, who played the role of Potter's nasty cousin Dudley Dursley. This happened between the filming of “Chamber of Secrets” and “Prisoner of Azkaban”. Melling had lost so many pounds that he no longer fit the character description. Fortunately, Harry was not forced to gain weight, he was dressed in a thickening suit, and special facial pads made him plump again. He spent almost the entire six months of filming in the dressing room and looked very realistic. But, unfortunately, many of his scenes were cut out during editing.
Three-story "Knight of the Night"
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban featured a special three-decker Night Knight bus that helped London's witches and wizards in trouble after dark. The “role” of the bus was played by two specially made “Night Knights”, they were made using vintage London double-decker buses, the top part of one was cut off and attached to the other. One Night Knight was intended for filming, the other for stunts, and the latter was equipped with a more powerful engine. A stretch of London road was closed every night for three weeks to allow the film crew to work undisturbed.
Seven Potters... and all are Radcliffes
In the seventh film of the film series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, the Order of the Phoenix rescues Radcliffe's hero and takes him to the Weasley house. Once there, all the friends drink the polyjuice potion and become "clones" of Harry. This was done to confuse those hunting for the chosen one. The short scene took two days to film: it was incredibly difficult. In an interview, Daniel Radcliffe admitted that up to 90 takes were done, and he himself most enjoyed playing Ron’s “version” of Harry.
Shared phobia between Ron and Rupert
As for Ron, you probably remember what the greatest fear lived in his soul? Yes - Weasley suffered from arachnophobia, that is, he was afraid of spiders. The actor who plays him, Rupert Grint, has exactly the same phobia; he doesn’t even tolerate rubber spiders. You may ask, how did he film the scene with the giant spiders? Rupert had to fight with himself, but luckily most of the creatures we see on screen were added later using CGI.
The Mysteries of Severus Snape
Potions Professor Severus Snape was one of the most controversial characters - he seemed to hate Harry, but at the same time defended him. Now everyone knows the background to these “difficulties,” and during filming JK Rowling kept Snape’s secret to herself. The only person she told the secret to was actor Alan Rickman, who played Severus. Sometimes this knowledge got in the way on the set and led to conflicts between the actor and the directors, but Rickman was able not to “split” and defended his interpretation of the image. That's why Snape turned out to be such a colorful hero.
Lewis-Longbottom almost became disabled
Matthew Lewis (Neville) is now doing successful career– he played in the melodrama “Me Before You” and portrays one of the East End policemen in the detective series “Ripper Street”. But he could have remained disabled after filming the film “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” Then Neville was taken hostage by the evil fury Bellatrix (Helena Bonham Carter). The actress stuck a stick in Lewis's ear, and he accidentally jerked and damaged his eardrum. Matthew received medical attention and remained deaf in that ear, but only for a few days. Later, the eardrum was completely regenerated.
Autobiographical essays about heroes
The director of the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Alfonso Cuaron, decided to find out how well his three main stars understand their characters. He asked them to write a detailed autobiographical essay about their hero. Emma Watson submitted a 16-page work - just like Hermione! Daniel Radcliffe gave Cuaron one page. Rupert Grint refused to take the “essay”: “I’m Ron, and Ron wouldn’t do this!” Cuaron was quite satisfied with this answer.
The most valuable thing in Dumbledore's office
It is clear that filming such a film required a whole bunch of interesting props, and Dumbledore’s office was simply a treasure trove of curious and very expensive things. Surely you noticed all those thick books on the shelves? We have to disappoint you - these are not ancient tomes, but old phone books, wrapped in leather covers. In order to film the Pensieve scene, the designers had to make more than 800 glass bottles. And the most expensive item in the professor’s office was a telescope with zodiac signs engraved on it.
Six months and 300 liters of silicone
Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George, opened a magic shop - it appears at the beginning of the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This is an amazing place that required a lot of work from the designers - after all, all the potions, sweets, comic magic things do not exist in nature, but were invented by Rowling. It took six months and 300 liters of silicone to create all the products, products and packaging.
Attention to detail: 17,000 sticks
The film crew was very attentive to detail. For example, each wand was designed specifically for a specific hero, and the Death Eaters' wands were marked with a small skull. The exception was large battle scenes - universal “impersonal” sticks were made for extras. In total, more than 17,000 sticks were produced for filming - and every single one was hand-painted. Another detail is that the sticks often broke, so Daniel Radcliffe used about 70 of them in eight films.
David Holmes' fatal trick
When David Holmes, Radcliffe's stunt double, arrived at the studio as usual in January 2009, he didn't know the day would end in tragedy. David crashed hard into the wall and fell onto the crash mat, unable to move. Holmes was rushed to the hospital, where doctors gave the 25-year-old the devastating news that he would now be paralyzed from his chest to his toes, with limited movement of his arms. Daniel Radcliffe, who has worked with Holmes since 2000, visited a friend in hospital and later held a charity dinner to raise money for medical expenses. David and Daniel are still in contact.
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" is the first in a series of films about the boy wizard Harry Potter, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling.
The film was directed by Chris Columbus (he also worked on the second film in the series). The main roles were played by 12-year-olds Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint and 11-year-old Emma Watson. Many adult roles are occupied by leading British actors, such as Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, John Cleese and others. The film was nominated for three Oscars in technical categories, but did not win any of them. It can be watched by children of almost any age (Rated PG by the MPAA) Contents [show]
Plot
At the beginning of the film, on November 1, 1981, Professor Albus Dumbledore and Professor Minerva McGonagall meet at number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, on the outskirts of Surrey, England. They discuss the latest events magical world. Lord Voldemort, the most powerful and sinister dark wizard of all time, has finally been defeated. Unfortunately, he took his last two victims to the grave: Lily and James Potter. Their little son, Harry, somehow managed to survive. All he had left as a souvenir of his meeting with Voldemort was a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. Harry is destined to become a legend of the wizarding world, the Boy Who Lived, and Dumbledore believes that it would be better for Harry to grow up away from the unwanted fame and attention that would surround him in the wizarding world.
The half-giant Hagrid, Hogwarts forester and close friend of Dumbledore, brings the Potter child to the two professors.
Harry is given into the care of Muggle relatives (which they do not like very much), his mother's sister Petunia Dursley and her husband Vernon. The Dursleys also have their own son - spoiled and spoiled Dudley.
The Dursleys dislike magic very much and hide from Harry that he has magical powers, instead telling him that his parents died in a car accident. They treat Harry poorly - for example, he has to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, where there are spiders. Harry Potter and the Dursleys went to the zoo in the Terrarium, where he talks with a boa constrictor. Dudley is fascinated by “the things a snake does.” The hooligan cousin rushes towards the enclosure, and the “interfering” Harry pushes him hard, so that he falls. Then Harry - unexpectedly for himself - made the glass of the enclosure disappear. The boa constrictor crawled away, first thanking Harry for freeing him. Dudley remained in the terrarium instead of the kite, and the glass was back in place.
A week before his eleventh birthday, owls begin to fly to Harry, bringing letters in which the boy is invited to study at Hogwarts, a school for young wizards where they teach witchcraft and magic. The Dursleys try to stop Harry from receiving the letter and take the boy to a small island, but Hagrid tracks them down and tells Harry the truth about his family and the magical world. The Dursleys don't want Harry to learn magic because then he will become "one of THESE" and "die like his parents." Vernon Dursley insults Albus Dumbledore in absentia. An angry Hagrid waved his umbrella (with the fragments of his wand hidden inside), and at the same moment Dudley Dursley grew a pig's tail.
In the Leaky Cauldron pub, Hagrid and Harry Potter meet a new teacher at Hogwarts, a young Professor Quirrell, who suffers from a stutter and a nervous tic. From the magical pub, the heroes go out to Diagon Alley, where Harry buys everything he needs for his studies. There, Harry learns about the killer of his parents - Lord Voldemort, a wizard who is still feared, despite the fact that he has already been defeated.
An interesting similarity emerges between Harry and Voldemort - their wands contain two feathers from the tail of the same phoenix.
Despite the protests of his evil family, Harry goes to school where he will learn magic. He meets Ron Weasley, a boy from a poor family. Ron has a rat called Scabbers. In the same compartment as Ron is a girl named Hermione Granger, an annoying know-it-all.
After arriving at Hogwarts, all new students are sorted into the four houses, giving them to try on an old hat that once belonged to one of the founders of the school, Godric Gryffindor. Each house is different from the rest: ambitious people who achieve their goals by any means fall into Slytherin; Ravenclaw will become a home for those who value wisdom and a sharp mind most of all; the brave ones will become Gryffindors, but Hufflepuff students are distinguished by their honesty, hard work and fair judgment (often those who are not suitable for other faculties end up there), and Susan Bones also joins there. The hat says that Harry is difficult to place in any of the faculties. Harry whispers to the hat that he doesn’t want to be in Slytherin when it tells him about the merits of this house. After this, the hat sends Harry to Gryffindor. Ron and Hermione end up there too. Draco Malfoy, rude and arrogant, and also hating Harry, ends up in Slytherin.
At school, Harry learns more and more about the world of wizards. The wizards' newspaper reports that unknown people broke into Gringotts Bank on the day that he and Hagrid were there, but cell number 713, which they wanted to rob, turned out to be empty. During Madame Trick's lesson, Neville Longbottom is unlucky; when he mishandled his broom, he got caught on the roof and crashed to the ground; Madame Trick finds out that the boy has a broken wrist and takes him to the hospital, and Malfoy takes the reminder from him and takes it for himself, flying on a broom, and Harry flew on a broom after him without the teacher's permission (despite Hermione's warning) and catches the reminder, which he dropped; McGonagall, instead of punishing the boy, invites him to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, the main and most popular sport in the magical world. During Professor Flitwick's Levitation lesson, Ron just can't do it, but Hermione starts doing Levitation herself and the feather flies up, and the boy explodes when trying to cast the Levitation spell. After class, Ron calls Hermione “nasty” and says that no one wants to be friends with her.
On Halloween night, Hermione is sitting in the women's toilet; she was very scared when she saw the troll. Harry and Ron felt something was wrong. When they came running to save her, the troll grabbed Harry by the legs. Ron casts the Wingardium Leviosa spell and the troll's club hangs in the air. Ron then spread out over the spell. The club fell on the troll's head. McGonagall is disappointed that Hermione thought she could pacify this troll, and McGonagall gives both boys five points for being lucky. For Christmas, Harry is given the Invisibility Cloak that once belonged to his father. Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised, where he sees the reflection of his parents. Dumbledore advises the boy to stop looking in the mirror, since over time it replaces the real world for people, and they can no longer move away from it.
Harry, Ron and Hermione discover that in one of the Hogwarts corridors, where students are forbidden to enter, a three-headed dog, whom Hagrid christened Fluffy, is guarding some kind of hatch. After thinking, they decided that Fluff most likely guards the legendary philosopher's stone, with which they can prepare the elixir of life. Friends decide that Severus Snape, the sinister potions professor and dean of Slytherin, is trying to steal the stone to restore Voldemort's power.
Albus Dumbledore in the hospital
While Harry recovers from his encounter with Voldemort, Dumbledore tells him that Harry's mother protected the boy at great cost. own life. The sanctity of pure love gave Harry protection against evil forces.
Dumbledore also says that even though the Philosopher's Stone was protected, it will still be destroyed so that Voldemort cannot steal it in the future.
Harry leaves Hogwarts having made friends with Ron, Hermione and even Hagrid, he has learned a lot and gained self-confidence.
History of creation
J. K. Rowling sold the film rights to the first four Harry Potter books in 1999 for the modest sum of one million pounds sterling (just over $1.5 million at the time). More importantly, it was agreed that the writer would receive a certain portion of the grosses of each film, and would have significant control over all stages of the film's production. She made it a sine qua non that all actors in future films must be British. Only in the fourth film of the franchise, where it was necessary for the content of the book, did actors from other countries appear.
Initially, the main contender for the position of director of the film was Steven Spielberg. Negotiations with him lasted for several months, and in February 2000 ended with his refusal. Steven Spielberg considered creating an animated film as the main option, where the voice of the main character would be Haley Joel Osment. Neither the film studio nor the author of the books liked this option. Subsequently, the famous director continued to insist on the participation of the American actor in leading role. He cited a lack of creative interest in the project as another reason for his refusal. According to Spielberg, the film was doomed to be a huge commercial success, no matter how successful his performance was.
After Spielberg's refusal, negotiations began with several directors at once. The main candidates considered were Chris Columbus, Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Demme, Mike Newell, Alan Parker, Wolfgang Petersen, Rob Reiner, Tim Robbins, Brad Silberling and Peter Weir.
In March 2000, Petersen and Reiner, for various reasons, dropped out of the applicant pool, which was reduced to four: Chris Columbus, Terry Gilliam, Alan Parker and Brad Silberling, of whom J. K. Rowling preferred Gilliam. Despite this, on March 28, 2000, it was announced that the director's chair had gone to Chris Columbus. Subsequently, Terry Gilliam openly expressed his dissatisfaction and disappointment, saying that he was the perfect candidate for the role, and calling Columbus's film simply terrible, boring and banal. The decisive role in choosing a film studio was played by the director’s extensive experience of working with young actors and the success of his previous family-oriented films “Home Alone” and “Mrs. Doubtfire.” On the other hand, one of the main reasons for Chris Columbus's agreement was the tireless requests of his daughter, a big fan of J. K. Rowling's books.
The honor of writing the script went to Steven Cloves, who negotiated and met with Steven Spielberg when he was considered as the main candidate for the director's position. According to the screenwriter, he was sent a number of short book synopses for adaptation, from which he immediately singled out Harry Potter for himself. He went out, bought a book and instantly became a fan of Rowling's work. At the same time, he took upon himself to write scripts for the next films in the series.
Originally a film studio Warner Bros. planned to release the film on Independence Day, July 4, 2001 (or July 31, Harry Potter's birthday). Time constraints eventually forced the premiere to be postponed to November 16, 2001.
Susie Figgis was put in charge of casting. Working with Columbus and Rowling, she held numerous auditions for the three main roles. Thousands of potential candidates were screened, but none were approved by the director or producers. At the same time, searches began in America, which displeased Susie Figgis, who left the project on July 11, 2000, claiming that many of the children she saw were worthy of the role, but were rejected by the director and producers.
At the end of May 2000, the official website of the future film posted a message about open casting for three main roles. Only British children aged 9 to 11 years were considered as candidates. At the auditions, children were first asked to read aloud a page from a book given to them, then to improvise a scene of the students arriving at Hogwarts, and in the third stage to read aloud several pages from the script.
In July 2000, numerous reports appeared that the main candidate for the role, at the insistence of Chris Columbus, was the American young actor Liam Aiken, who had previously worked with the director in the film Stepmom. He flew to the UK and even managed to receive an official offer to play the role of Harry Potter, which, however, was withdrawn the next day at the insistence of Rowling, who firmly stood that the role should go to a British actor.
Finally, on August 8, 2000, it was announced that the three main roles went to virtually unknown at that time Britons Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
Robbie Coltrane, who received the role of Hagrid, was the very first adult actor to be contracted to participate in the project. The second was Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall). The main contender for the role of Severus Snape for a long time there was Tim Roth, British by birth, but living in America since 1990. Tim Roth turned down the offer, preferring Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes, after which the role went to Alan Rickman, whose invitation was personally approved by J. K. Rowling.
Despite Rowling's demands, the role of Mrs. Weasley could have gone to American actress Rosie O'Donnell, who negotiated with Chris Columbus. The role went to Julie Walters, who had previously been considered as a leading contender for the much less important role of broom-flying teacher Madame Trick. The role of Professor Quirrell could have gone to David Thewlis, who later received the role of Professor Lupine in the third film. Rik Mayal became the voice of the annoying poltergeist Peeves, but all his scenes were cut and were not included in the final version of the film.
Richard Harris agreed to the role of Albus Dumbledore only after his 11-year-old granddaughter threatened that if she refused, she would never speak to him again. Another possible choice for the role was Christopher Lee.
In general, J. K. Rowling's demands that all significant roles in the film should go to the British were fully satisfied, although several non-British actors appear in the film. Richard Harris was Irish, and Zoe Wanamaker, although making a name for herself as a British actress, was a US citizen at the time of filming. Also, the role of the goblin in the Gringotts bank, accompanying Harry and Hagrid to the vault, was played by the American Verne Troyer, and one of the Hogwarts students, Susan Bones, was played by Elinor Columbus, the daughter of director Chris Columbus.
Filming
Filming began on October 2, 2000, at Leavesden Studios, located approximately 50 kilometers from London and in the city itself. Most of the scenes taking place in and around Hogwarts were filmed in the cathedrals of Gloucester and Durham. The decision to film in Gloucester Cathedral sparked widespread protests from local residents. Many indignant letters were published in the local press and accused the filmmakers of sacrilege, threatening to prevent the film crew from entering the cathedral. True, on the day on which filming was scheduled to begin, only one protester showed up local. Scenes in the hospital and the school library were filmed in two ancient buildings at the University of Oxford, Oxford Divinity School and the Duke Humphrey Library. The building of the Australian representative office in London was used as the Gringotts wizard bank. According to the book, filming also took place at London Zoo and King's Cross Station. The filming process ended in July 2001.
Columbus considered it necessary that when creating magical creatures in the film, both specially designed moving mechanical models (the so-called animatronics) and computer graphics should be used. CGI special effects were mainly used to create the cave troll and Norbert the dragon. In the scene with the cave troll in the girls' bathroom, Daniel Radcliffe was not actually hanging on the troll's neck, since the troll's sudden movements could easily break his neck. The actor's image was added using computer graphics.
Fees
The film's final worldwide gross was $976.5 million. Of these, 317.6 million (32.5%) fell to the United States, and 658.9 million (67.5%) to the world box office. At the time of its release, it became the second highest-grossing film of all time after Titanic. It is also the highest-grossing of all the Harry Potter films.
Interesting Facts
The scene showing Voldemort killing Harry's parents was written by J. K. Rowling personally, since she was the only one who knew exactly what happened then.
One of the film's scripts included a cameo for Drew Barrymore, a self-proclaimed big fan of the Harry Potter books.
Three owls, Ook, Gizmo and Sprout, were used as Harry Potter's owl Bookly.
The film is known as "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" throughout the world except the United States. In North American release, the title was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. For this reason, all scenes in which the philosopher's stone is mentioned were filmed twice: in one case, the actors pronounce the Philosopher's Stone, and in the other, the Sorcerer's stone. The same distinction applies to the game of the same name, based on the film. This is due to the fact that by the time the film and game were created, a book with a different name (Sorcerer’s stone) had already been published in the United States, since the publisher considered that children would not read a book with the word “philosophical” in the title.
In one of the scenes in the film, when Harry, Ron and Hermione approach Hagrid's hut, he is playing a homemade pipe. At this point, he plays Hedwig's Theme from the film's soundtrack.
The steam locomotive GWR 4900 Class 5972 Olton Hall, once owned by the British company Great Western Railway and built in 1937, was used as the Hogwarts Express in this and subsequent films. Since 2004, private tour operator Beyond Boundaries Travel has been organizing tours of Britain exclusively for Harry Potter fans on it.
In addition to Harry's father's name, the Quidditch Cup also bears the names M. McGonagall and R. J. H. King, among others. The second character received his name in honor of John King, who was responsible for the production and use of scenery in the project.
In the Trophy Room, to the right of the Quidditch Cup, you can see an award for “special services to the school.” At the same time, part of the name Tom M. Riddle engraved on it is visible.
Among the portraits on the disappearing staircase you can see a painting of the English Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII and the mother of Elizabeth I. Many of Anne Boleyn's contemporaries believed that she was a witch.
The tabby cat used during filming disappeared without a trace and was found after intensive searches only two days later.
The magical chess that Harry and Ron play was based on the Isle of Lewis chess, the most famous chess pieces in the world, found in the sand on a beach on the Isle of Lewis, Hebrides and dating back to the 12th century.
According to the book, the school's students go to Hogwarts from the invisible platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station, which can be reached through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. However, it turned out that at King's Cross Station platforms 9 and 10 are not in the main building , but in a separate building and they are separated not by a barrier, but by two railway tracks. In one of her interviews, J. K. Rowling admitted her mistake and said that she had mixed up London's King's Cross and Euston stations, although at the second station platforms 9 and 10 are also separated by tracks, not a barrier. For the filming of the film, platforms 4 and 5 were used, which are located in the main part of King's Cross Station and were simply renamed 9 and 10 for a while. Subsequently, a cast iron sign “Platform” was placed on the wall of the building where the real platforms 9 and 10 are located. 9 ¾”, and below it is mounted a quarter of a luggage cart, the remaining part of which has already disappeared into the wall.
The actor who plays the duty officer at King's Cross station, to whom Harry turns for help, actually works as an employee on the British railway, although in a different position - as a train master.
Before the film's release, a video game of the same name, created by Electronic Arts, went on sale and became a big hit. American toy manufacturing company Mattel Inc. became the winner of the competition for the right to produce toys based on the future film. A little later, another industrial giant in this industry, Hasbro, also received this right.
Composer John Williams wrote musical composition especially for the movie trailer. It was subsequently included in the soundtrack of a film called “The Prologue,” which in itself is extremely rare.
The publishing house of educational books and magazines "DeAgostini" in 2008 released the magazines "Harry Potter Chess" teaching how to play chess. The prototypes for creating the pieces were the chess pieces on a huge chessboard where Harry, Ron and Hermione collided.
In the film, Harry sees Quirrell die, which does not correspond to the film and the book "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", which mentions that in his fourth year he saw a person die for the first time. In the first book of the epic, this discrepancy is absent: in the book version of the plot, Harry lost consciousness too early and did not have time to see Quirrell die.
In this article we have collected the most Interesting Facts from the filming of the legend of British cinema, the film "Harry Potter". Filming took place at Leavesden Studios in Britain over 10 years. This huge room contains all the technologies and secrets of filming the Potter series.
While working on the film, special departments were created, each of which employed many specialists from different fields:
- Department of Magical Creatures
- Animal training department
- Visual Effects Department
- Department of Decorators, Engineers and Inventors
- and many others
Filming Harry Potter: Essential Secrets
1. To recreate the floating candles in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, I had to hang ordinary candles on threads. The threads were then removed using computer graphics. This was done in the first film, but in subsequent films this method was abandoned because the flame burned the threads. The candles were recreated using graphics.
2. In the film “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” the underwater scenes were simulated using computer animation and were considered phenomenal at the time. For Daniel Radcliffe to have gills, the creators had to work for an hour and a half. The gills were made from silicone and silk.
3. To make Dumbledore’s office atmospheric and majestic, I had to collect a library of hundreds of telephone directories with aged covers, invent and hang portraits “ former directors» magical educational institution. For the scene with Dumbledore's memories, about 800 bottles were made, which contained the most important points from the life of a professor.
4. Voldemort's makeup was recreated by three people over the course of two hours. We thought about everything: from the shade of the face and darkened eyes, to false eyebrows and nails. But they decided to remove the nose using post-processing.
5. The defeated spider Aragog took half a year to create by 20 people! Weighed a ton, was the size of a car!
6. A special team was responsible for training the animal actors. Harry the owl had 4 understudies, four cats played Crookshanks Hermione and about ten rats played Ron the rodent. Hagrid the dog was played by nine mastiffs.
7. Cutie Dobby did not participate in the filming. Instead, the actors conducted a dialogue with a tennis ball attached to a stick. Dobby was added during the editing stage through graphics.
8. Ron's family's flying car Ford Anglia brand was chosen for a reason. The analogue was once run by the writer JK Rowling herself. During filming, 14 of these cars were destroyed.
Magical things from the world of Harry Potter
1. This is how the frying pan was washed. Give me one!
2. And so the books returned to their places.
3. And here is a walk on brooms.
Where Harry Potter was filmed: hot spots
Potter fans have visited hot spots from filming more than once. We'll tell you and show you where, what and how:
1. The Dursley House, Where It All Began
The same house of the Dursley family where Potter lived in a closet before being invited to Hogwarts.
Address: 12 Picket Post Close, Martins Heron
2. Legendary platform number 9
The platform they crashed into and disappeared into was located at King's Cross station. Now there are a lot of tourists there who take funny photos.
There are successful examples of entering the platform: 
And not really: 
In the first and second parts of the film, the corridors of Hogwarts were filmed in the monastery of Gloucester Cathedral. In "The Goblet of Fire" - within the walls of the New College monastery in Oxford.
The courtyard of Durham Cathedral is where Harry first lets his owl, Hedwig, go for a walk, and where Ron fights slugs in Chamber of Secrets.
5. School library, hospital, stairs
Located in the Oxford Bodleian Library. The Hogwarts hospital ward and stairs were also filmed in Oxford.
6. Hagrid's Hut
First located in Black Park Country Park, Buckinghamshire. During the filming of Order of the Phoenix, the hut was moved to Scotland.
7. Hogwarts Lake
To visit this same lake, go to Loch Shiel in Scotland. The second lake is located in Surrey and is called Virginia Water. It was there that Harry flew on a hippogriff.
And this single scene, filming outside the UK. Railway The Glenfinnan Viaduct was located in Oslo, Norway.
9. Chamber of Secrets
Located in Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire. Some episodes of "The Half-Blood Prince" were also filmed at this location.
10. Hogwarts Dining Hall
The College of the Church of Christ is the very place where the children rejoiced at the flying letters that came to them from their parents. It was here that three wizard friends discussed their plans and shared secrets.
Address: St. Aldates, Oxford OX1 1DP, UK, tel. +44 1865 276150 (Christ Church College)
How Harry Potter was filmed, the film about the film
That's all :) The best gratitude would be if you share the post on in social networks, and also if you send interesting facts about the film in the comments. We will add to the collection :)
/The Harry Potter films, based on the book series of the same name, are almost the most popular films in the world, both among children and adults. Various museums and parks are dedicated to Harry Potter, but real fans love to travel to the places where this amazing film was filmed. Since the book about the young wizard is English, the filming took place on the territory of this country.
Hogwarts
Hogwarts from the outside was mostly filmed at the ancient Enik Castle. This 11th-century castle is located on the border of England and Scotland and is famous for its history, full of various interesting events.
It was Enik Castle that served as the basis for filming Hogwarts from the outside, although it had to be significantly modified using computer graphics. Some of the interior of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was also filmed here.
In the courtyard of this castle, Hogwarts students learned difficult art flying on a broomstick, and a game of Quidditch taking place over the local lawns. Here and now you can see fans jumping on brooms across the lawns of the castle courtyard.
Enik Castle
Interior of the castle
However, it will be much more interesting to look at Hogwarts not from the outside, but from the inside. Most of the scenes from the life of young wizards were filmed within the walls of Oxford University. For example, Big hall, in which all the important and solemn moments took place, was filmed in the dining hall of Christ Church, the most prestigious and oldest college of Oxford University. Also, many scenes from the films were filmed in the courtyard of this college and on its stairs.
Oxford is worth a visit not only because Harry Potter was filmed here. Beautiful area, ancient buildings, Gothic architecture, medieval patterns, museums - all this, without a doubt, deserves special close attention.
Christ Church Dining Hall
Hogwarts Library
The Hogwarts library, with its huge rooms and numerous books, was filmed in the Bodleian Library, the largest library in Oxford. More than 11 million books are stored here, among which there are real rarities. And of course, no one will be indifferent to the interiors of the library, which can easily be recognized as the Hogwarts library.
Bodleian Library
Hogwarts corridors
After visiting Oxford, be sure to visit the town of Gloucester, located just two hours from London. This town is home to one of the most beautiful cathedrals in England - Gloucester Cathedral. Many scenes from films that took place in the corridors of the school of witchcraft and wizardry were filmed in the corridors and covered galleries of this religious building.
Scenes with the troll and ghosts, the secret door to the Gryffindor common room, Harry Potter's bedroom, talking pictures and even school lessons- all this happened within the walls of Gloucester Cathedral.
Gloucester Cathedral is a truly beautiful landmark located in a very picturesque part of England. A walk in its surroundings and in the Cathedral itself will immerse you in the atmosphere of magic and Harry Potter like nothing else.
Gloucester Cathedral
Professor McGonagall's office
Transfiguration classes led by Professor McGonagall were filmed at Durham's Cathedral of Christ, Mary and St. Cuthbert, located near Scotland. The cathedral is different interesting architecture, beautiful stained glass windows and amazing nature, which makes it very popular among tourists. By the way, not far from the cathedral is Durham Castle, which is also an interesting attraction.
Durham Cathedral
Flitwick's office
The spells class taught by Professor Flitwick was filmed at Harrow School, one of the oldest public schools for boys. This school, located several miles from London, has produced many famous figures in science, culture and politics, for example, Winston Churchill graduated from it.
Hagrid's Hut
The Glencoe Valley, located in Scotland, is one of the most beautiful places in this area of England. Some of the landscapes around Hogwarts were filmed in this valley: Steel Falls and Glen Nevis Mountain will be recognized by any fan of the Harry Potter films. It was also in the Glencoe Valley that the hut of Rubeus Hagrid, the keeper of the keys and forester of Hogwarts, was recreated.
Unfortunately, the hut has not survived to this day, but it is definitely worth admiring the landscapes of Glencoe.
Glencoe Valley
forbidden Forest
Filming of the Forbidden Forest, which is home to various magical creatures, took place in Black Park in Buckinghamshire. It is always twilight, and due to such a mysterious atmosphere, various films are often filmed there.
Hogsmeade Station
According to the film, Hogsmeade is a village with a railway station located near Hogwarts. It is here that students of the wizarding school come by train before getting to Hogwarts itself. Hogsmeade is mostly an artificial set, but the train station was filmed in the picturesque village of Goathland, at the local train station.
Diagon Alley
Diagon Alley is a place where magicians, including Hogwarts students, can purchase a variety of magical items needed for study and for life. Much of Diagon Alley was filmed at Lindenhall Market, London's indoor market. You can get to Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron bar, which is actually an optical store in the same market.
Some scenes in Diagon Alley were filmed in the city of York, on the ancient street of Chamblay with traditional black and white houses.
Lindenhall Market
Gringotts Bank
According to the book, Gringotts Bank is located where Diagon Alley and Knock Alley intersect. In reality, this bank is the representative office of Australia in London, or, as it is also called, Australia House. Of course, you won’t be able to get inside, but you can admire the building from the outside.
Privet Alley
On this street, at number 4, Harry Potter lived before and during his time at school. summer holidays during training. This street is actually called Picket Post Close and is located in the town of Little Whinging.
Godric's Hollow
Harry's parents and himself lived in this small settlement before Voldemort attacked their family. Godric's Hollow was filmed in the vicinity of the town of Bath in Wiltshire, in the town of Lacock Abbey. This abbey is truly picturesque - the narrow streets and ancient stone houses make it truly magical.
Real places
Most of the books about the wizard Harry Potter are fictional, but the book describes several places in London that actually exist.
London Zoo
This zoo is the oldest scientific zoo in London and one of the largest zoos in the entire world. His visit is interesting in itself, but it was here, in the House of Reptiles, that Harry discovered magical abilities and the ability to understand snake language.
Reptile House
Bridges of London
Many scenes from films took place on London Bridges. For example, a scene with a magic bus being squeezed was filmed on Lambert Bridge, and the Millennium pedestrian bridge in the story is destroyed by Voldemort's minions, the Death Eaters.
King's Cross Station
Very important place For all young wizards, this is King's Cross Station. It was from here, from platform 9 ¾, that young wizards went by train to Hogwarts. The station really exists in London, and when you enter it, you can see familiar interiors. And at the entrance to platforms 9, 10 and 11 you can even see a cart that half disappears into the wall and a sign that says “Platform 9 ¾”. And outside there is another memorable place for Harry Potter fans - the neo-Gothic St. Parkras station, against which Harry and Ron flew by in the magical Ford Anglia.
King's Cross Station
Traveling on the Hogwarts Express
The Hogwarts Express is also a very real train that runs along the viaduct over the Glenfinnan Valley. This train and this route were chosen because of the amazing beauty of the area.
By the way, today, from May to October, anyone can ride this route from William to Mallaig on a real “Hogwarts Express” - an old train with an old steam locomotive. However, you will have to worry about tickets in advance, as they sell out very quickly.
The Harry Potter cinematic universe unites millions of fans around the world. Over time, interest in it does not fade away, especially since the universe began to be replenished with new films, which are about the Boy Who Lived himself direct relationship no longer have, but immerse the viewer in the same enchanting atmosphere of the world of magic and enchantment. So for all fans of the series, we have collected 22 interesting facts about the Harry Potter films.
Draco Malfoy: thief with a sweet tooth
Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, stole candy and snacks from the cupboard during filming, hiding his loot in the pockets of his robes. When they found out about this, they sewed up his pockets. In his youth, Tom Felton could not deny himself the pleasure of eating something sweet
The actor himself confirmed this fact at a fan convention in 2014: “There are rumors that my pockets were sewn shut during the filming of the third film because I was secretly eating and drinking. I would like to be clear - this is the absolute truth."
Albus Dumbledore threatened Chris Columbus
Richard Harris, who played Albus Dumbledore in the first two Potter films, once told director Christopher Columbus that he would kill him if another actor was chosen to play his character. 
Richard Harris as Albrus Dumbledore
“He actually threatened to kill me if I cast another actor in his place. I can’t even repeat what he told me,” Chris Columbus said in an interview shortly before Harris’ death.
The Hogwarts Express was attacked by vandals
The train, known to viewers as the Hogwarts Express, was vandalized between filming of Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. 
The same train that took young wizards to Hogwarts
One night, vandals spray-painted several of the train's carriages, causing thousands of pounds in damage.
Successful improvisation by Chris Columbus
Draco Malfoy's line "I didn't know you could read" was improvised by director Chris Columbus. Tom Felton later called this episode one of his favorite moments in the entire series. 
This improvisation has turned into a meme
There is a widespread misconception that this phrase is a forced improvisation by Tom, who at that moment forgot the original text. In reality, changes to the text were actually made spontaneously, but not by the actor, but by the director himself.
The Door to the Chamber of Secrets Really Exists
The door to the Chamber of Secrets from the second part of the Potter series, along with the amazing castle made of snakes, is not a computer effect: it was built life-size and all its mechanical elements still work.
The structure created for filming is located at Warner Bros. studios in London. Studio Tour. However, the individual elements of this mechanism are quite delicate, so seeing its work with your own eyes is a great success.
Harry's wand changed
The producers replaced Harry Potter's wand between the second and third films in the series. 
Harry Potter receives his first wand at Ollivander's shop
The most attentive viewers noticed that the design of the key characters' wands "evolved from film to film." Indeed, before filming began on Prisoner of Azkaban, director Alfonso Cuaron gave the actors the opportunity to choose new wands to suit their tastes. Daniel Radcliffe's choice fell on the now famous “hooked” wand, about which artistic director Hattie Story described it as “carrying even more mystery and magic.”
About 80 copies of the magic wand were made for Daniel Radcliffe
During the filming of Potter, Daniel Radcliffe used at least 80 wands because he continued to carry them with him all the time. 
Replica of the "adult" Harry Potter wand
On average, 6 sticks were made for all the main characters, but Daniel Radcliffe had to make about 80 because he, for example, used them as drum sticks, tapping rhythms on different surfaces. To be fair, in the end the actor admitted that he was very ashamed of his irresponsible attitude towards the props.
JK Rowling could play Lily
The producers offered JK Rowling to portray the role of Harry Potter's mother in flashback episodes. Philosopher's Stone“However, the writer rejected this proposal. 
Lily and James Potter
She turned down the role because she was "really unsuited to being an actress, even for roles where you just have to stand and worry."
Interesting fact: Dementors were filmed underwater
In the process of creating the Dementors, special dolls were used, and filming took place underwater to create the unique effect of their levitation, which puts viewers into a daze. 
Dementors are one of the most terrifying creatures in the world of Harry Potter.
Initially, the filmmakers wanted to completely film the Dementors in this way, without the use of computer graphics, but in the process it became clear that it was impossible to control the movement of the dolls underwater. Subsequently, underwater footage was useful as a basis for digital models of dementors, which as a result appeared on the screens.
Emma Watson buried her hamster in a coffin
During the filming of The Philosopher's Stone, Emma Watson lived with a Djungarian hamster. However, the lifespan of these creatures is very short and the hamster died. The actress was very upset, and to console her, the prop makers built a small coffin to bury the animal. 
During the filming of the first part, Emma Watson was only 10 years old.
The coffin was made of mahogany and lined with velvet. It was probably the most solemn hamster funeral ever.
Voldemort wore stockings with garters
Actor Ralph Fiennes, who plays Lord Voldemort, originally wore tights under his stage robes, but the gusset made movement difficult, so the actor ended up using stockings and garters. 
Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort
“When our stuntmen looked too masculine, I teased them with my seductive hips,” the actor said at a meeting with fans in 2011.
In the first film, Harry does without spells
In the first Potter film main character uses exclusively “wandless” magic. 
Harry Potter in his first year at Hogwarts School
Harry makes glass in the zoo disappear, communicates with snakes and, of course, overcomes all the difficulties that befall him, but throughout the entire film he does without spells, although his friends use them.
Moaning Myrtle is almost 40 years old
Shirley Henderson, who played the ghost Moaning Myrtle, was 36 years old during the filming of Chamber of Secrets. 
Shirley Henderson as Moaning Myrtle
“She’s a multi-faceted character, with many mood swings and simmering emotions,” Shirley Henderson said in an interview. “Perhaps that’s why the producers cast an adult actor rather than a real teenager.”
Voldemort “in his youth” and “in the present” are really relatives
Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, the actor who played the role of young Voldemort in the film “Half-Blood Prince,” turned out to be the nephew of Ralph Fiennes, who embodied the image of Voldemort after his return. 
Stills from the film "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" with little Tom Riddle
According to David Yates, it was not family connections that were decisive. "It was an advantage that he had a physical resemblance to the Wraith, but Hiro got the role because of his amazing ability to impersonate a young Tom Riddle on screen," Yates told USA Today in 2008.
Daniel Radcliffe was allergic to his character's glasses
During filming, Daniel Radcliffe developed an allergic reaction to the green contact lenses and original glasses used to create the image of Harry Potter. 
Glasses have become an integral part of the Harry Potter look
“It took about a week for terrible spots to appear under the eyes,” the actor said in joint interview with JK Rowling. - In the end, we realized that I was allergic to Harry Potter glasses. By then I had two rings of whiteheads around my eyes.”
Zhou Chang cried to Coldplay
Katie Leung, who played the sorceress Cho Chang, listened to Coldplay songs in her dressing room between scenes that required her to cry. 
In the foreground is Katie Leung as Zhou Chang.
Dolores Umbridge's costumes reflect her hysteria
The wardrobe of Dolores Umbridge, who appeared in "The Order of the Phoenix", at first has a pinkish-cream color, but as the plot develops it becomes brighter and darker, reflecting the development of the character himself, his gradual immersion into the dark abyss of passions. 
Dolores Umbridge in light pink clothes
“I started with light pink, and then as the film progresses, the pink tones become hotter and hotter and brighter because the character himself becomes more obsessed and hysterical,” costume designer Jani Temime said in an interview.
Professor McGonagall suffered from cancer
Actress Maggie Smith, the permanent performer of the role of Professor McGonagall, was undergoing treatment for breast cancer during the filming of “Half-Blood Prince.” 
Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall
Although the actress was undergoing chemotherapy during filming, she refused to let her stop playing Professor McGonagall: “I was bald, but it was comfortable to wear a wig. I was like boiled egg, - said the actress in an interview with the Times. - The last few years have been a serious test, although now I am starting to feel like a human being. My strength is being restored, but I have to pick myself up piece by piece.”
Emma Watson advised Helena Bonham Carter
In preparation for the episode where Miss Granger takes on the guise of Bellatrix to infiltrate Gringotts, Emma Watson compiled a list for Helena Bonham Carter of tips on how to play her character correctly. 
Emma Watson and Helena Bonham Carter in their usual looks
“This is a really exciting way of working, to look at myself from the outside, to realize the features of my plastic surgery, which I had not even thought about before,” said Emma, helping Helena prepare for this episode. - Watching Helena try to play my character was very strange. And she herself is strange in a good way.”
The first part of the "Seven Potters" scene was filmed in 95 takes.
It took 95 takes to film the hallway scene with the seven Potters in it at the same time. 
Daniel Radcliffe and his six “doubles” from the first part of “The Deathly Hallows”
Daniel Radcliffe spent about 12 takes to portray the plasticity and behavioral characteristics of all the characters who “reincarnated” as Harry Potter. The easiest way for the actor was to portray Hermione's mannerisms - he coped with this in one take.
Emma Watson kicked Rupert Grint
Emma Watson kicked Rupert Grint during the filming of the vision scene in the Horcrux where "Harry" and "Hermione" kiss. The actor received it for not being able to stop laughing. 
The same vision scene in the crystal glass with Harry and Hermione kissing
“When they filmed that kiss, I just couldn’t calm down, it looked too funny. Then Emma sent me to known direction and even kicked me because I kept laughing. It looked really funny, I ended up just leaving the set,” Rupert shared in an interview.
"Souvenirs" from filming
When filming ended on the films, Daniel Radcliffe took Harry Potter's glasses from the first and latest movies, Rupert Grint took Enlightenment and Number 4 from Privet Drive, and Emma Watson took her character's wand, cape and Time-Turner from Prisoner of Azkaban. 
Harry and Hermione using the Time Turner
Rupert also said that he tried to take the Golden Egg from the Goblet of Fire movie prop without permission, but he was spotted and was forced to return the “souvenir” to its place.
It was a great disappointment for Potter fans that all the films featuring their favorite characters had already been released. The only consolation is the prequel films about Newt Scamander, young Albrus Dumbledore and other heroes of the wizarding world created by the writer JK Rowling.
