FSU Student Life Cinema

In honor of the SLC playing “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” next week from November 8th-10th, I’ve written up a special “MOVIE FACTS THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW” dealing with HARRY POTTER!

“The Harry Potter Series” (2001-2011)

Throughout the course of 10 years, the Harry Potter film series has spanned 7 books, 8 films and at $7,704,732,755, is the highest grossing film series of all time.  Through the ten years, numerous directors have had the honor of contributing their own film making style.  Though author J.K. Rowling wanted director Terry Gilliam to direct the first film, Christopher Columbus was hired and directed the 1st two films.  Though Columbus was supposed to actually direct all the adaptations, by the end of the second film, Columbus felt he was “burnt out”.  Due to this, Alfonso Cuarón was hired to direct the 3rd film.  Cuarón was worried about directing the third film because he had actually never seen the previous films or read the books but after actually reading the book, signed on.  Because production of the fourth installment, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, had to be initiated before the worldwide release of the third film, director Mike Newell was selected to be the director of the 4th film.  It was actually during production of the 4th film that director David Yates was hired to direct the 5th adaptation and would end up being the only other director besides Columbus to direct more than one Potter film, directing the final three films in the series.

Additionally, each of the directors (not including Columbus) had a cameo within their respective films: Alfonso Cuarón appears in The Three Broomsticks in Prisoner of Azkaban; Mike Newell is heard briefly as the radio presenter in Frank Bryce’s house in Goblet of Fire; and David Yates features as a wizard within a moving portrait in Order of the Phoenix.  It should be included though that Columbus’ daughter portrayed Hufflepuff student Susan Bones in non-speaking roles in the first two films.

-Raymond Calderon