25 years ago, a book by the title of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” shocked the world with its intricate story telling of a complicated wizarding plot. Even after all these years, the hype still hasn’t died down. And once again the magic returns with the recent release of the “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” and the soon-to-be third movie for “Fantastic Beasts” in April. The world of Harry Potter is still perceived as a profitable franchise nowadays, and even if someone has not seen the movies or read the books, they must have at least taken the Hogwarts Sorting Hat quizzes. The books and the movies were a magical place for both adults and children but that magic hasn’t gone out yet.
The Harry Potter universe made the documentary unlike any other. The 20th anniversary of Harry Potter featured humor, connection, and most importantly nostalgia of seeing these familiar actors together once again. Starting off with the behind-the-scenes of the first two movies, the director (Chris Columbus) explained how easy it was to cast every character except for Harry Potter. What was even more surprising was the fact that the auditions required no previous experiences. People from all over the world joined the competition with hopes of acquiring a role in the movies. As kids, these young actors would never imagine how important these movies would come to be, and how the fame would prove to be something that stayed with them forever. Natalie DeWees, a sophomore who is a very self-aware Potterhead, wanted to express her opinions after watching the documentary.
“I found some parts enjoyable enough. Especially when Rupert Grint [Ron] admitted to not having done an essay that the PoA [Prisoner of Azkaban] director assigned him and his two co-stars. He said it didn’t seem like something Ron would do. I was incredibly disappointed however, with the absences of Maggie Smith [Professor McGonagall] and Julie Walters [Mrs. Weasley],” Dewees said.
Although most of the cast have appeared in the documentary, there are still many more important actors that couldn’t show up. The absences of Michael Gambon (Dumbledore) and David Thewlis (Lupin) were definitely a disappointment to many others, but the actors and actresses that have passed away hit more at home. Fortunately, the documentary slowly relieved their memories on set and paying tribute to Alan Rickman definitely brought tears to many eyes. However, to see the cast together was also one of the cherishable moments in the documentary. Because of their 10 years of filming together, the whole Harry Potter cast had become one huge family. It was heartwarming to see these actors bond again and talk about the old times. Jocelyn Hannan, another Sophomore fan who is currently reading the Harry Potter series, also loved watching the documentary.
“I really enjoyed it because I was able to learn the actors’ and actresses’ experience of filming the movies. I also got to see the relationships they all formed along the way,” Hannan said.
The documentary then divided up the parts into each of the different director’s’ movies plus the addition of small features including how the Malfoys or Voldemort came to be. The fact that Voldemort actually had a nose and that Lucius Malfoy’s actor originally auditioned for Lockhart, but instead received the role that he least wanted to play might be shocking to some. While presenting the golden chemistry between these actors was already fantastic, the documentary also added JK Rowling’s views on the movies. The appearance of the author’s interview was quite surprising to see, because most movies that are based on books do not entirely include the author for production and script purposes. For many, it was a fun ride to see the old memories being relieved again. And no matter how many years pass, the cast of Harry Potter will always have a special place in the hearts of its devoted fans.