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harry potter and the
prisoner of askaban
Did you feel the Englishness of it?
That is what is fun about it. I love that they are distinctly English, which Harry Potter himself embodies, but there’s also emotion which is so hugely universal. That is the appeal of these books around the world: people connect with them. The mythology is fundamental, but the emotions are universal.
Did you meet with JK Rowling?
Yeah, I met her. At our first meeting it was merely to say hello. We talked about my approach to the third movie and she mentioned there were a couple of things that were important for her in the book. She’s great, from the get-go she gave me all her blessings and freedom. She is also so eloquent about her universe that you have to do nothing but listen when she has something to say.
Did you ever have any concerns stepping into such a huge franchise?
There was the ego-aspect of it: how could I put myself into the next episode of a franchise? However, the material won me over and I found it very eloquent to translate the universe of the book. So I was confident in that playground. My friend, Guillermo Del Torro (director of Blade 2) said, “You should go for it, but don’t try to do your movie out of it. Just go and serve Harry Potter - go and serve the material.” And it has been one of the most enjoyable, creative experiences I have ever had. That gave me all the creative freedom I needed, serving the material.
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) about to be picked up by the triple-decker ’Knight Bus’.
Yet there must be elements of your own style in the new film?
Well, it is inevitable, because I will only serve the material from my standpoint. Chris Columbus directed the previous two movies and we are two different directors and minds, and that shows in our approach to the material. Also the stories are evolving. Harry is a teen and the material is getting darker and the kids are having a larger view on things. The tone of the books starts changing. That is the great thing about the franchise: it evolves, there is a natural progression. I am sure Mike Newell’s production of the fourth book will be quite different and hopefully better. I hope he will keep evolving it and keep the whole thing alive. The more each film serves the books, the more each Harry Potter film will benefit.
So this is a darker film than the first two?
That is true because again, going back to the material, the book is darker. It is psychologically a different moment for these kids: being 13 is an archetypical age, and different cultures celebrate and talk about the importance of becoming 13 - a rite-of-passage age.
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