By Dustin Rowles | @drowles
The Harry Potter franchise may be over, but that doesn’t mean the adventures of Harry Potter don’t continue. In fact, it seems as if they’ve just begun. This year alone, we’ve seen four blockbuster films based on the Harry Potter books and one short film. But before Harry Potter and Co. make their grand return to theaters, we get an early glimpse at their latest cinematic endeavors in the form of movie trailers. This week, we’re taking a look at the intriguing world of Harry Potter in four movie trailer parodies that will have you laughing and crying all in one.
The Mummy
The first of the Harry Potter trailers is none other than the highly anticipatedThe Mummy. Directed by Alex Kurtzman and starring Tom Cruise, Annabelle Blakesley, and Jake Johnson, this trailer reveals a lot about the film. First of all, it’s obviously a parody, with Tom Cruise’s character acting exactly like his real life counterpart. Second, the trailer teases several scenes from the film that will have you on the edge of your seat, including one where Tom Cruise’s character opens up a tombstone to reveal the monster from The Mummy. Finally, it seems as if the producers of The Mummy wanted to give us a hint as to what the film is actually about by setting the scene in a post-apocalyptic future where a zombie-like monster terrorizes the population and the survivors must band together to fight for their lives. With The Mummy just a few days away, we can’t wait to see how they bring the apocalypse to life on the big screen.
The Jungle Book
With Jon Favreau returning for the fourth installment of the franchise, The Jungle Book, we’re getting another look at the adventures of the iconic Mowgli. This time around, it seems as if the makers of the film had a lot of fun with the story, especially since they decided to go for broke and parody everything from the popular book and its sequels. As you’ll see in the trailer below, the team behind The Jungle Book have a lot of fun with the source material, hitting on all the clichés associated with the books and bringing a hilarious spin to the story. In one scene, we even get to see Crocuseekyll and Crorcustyle, a.k.a. Jon Favreau and his famous crocodile teeth. Aside from some great one-liners, Favreau seems pretty committed to getting the most out of whichever animal you choose for the main character – even if that means throwing his own son, Louis, into the mix.
Dunkirk
A few years back, Peter Weir’s amazing debut, A Weir, got the honors of becoming the first Trailer Park Movie parodied. Since then, the Trailer Park Movies have continued to poke fun at movies, and the latest offering to hit theaters this month is none other than the Battle of Dunkirk. Using World War II as a backdrop, the trailers for Dunkirk parody several well-known films, bringing them all together for what seems like one colossal combat scene. While the scenes in the film may not be for the faint of heart, the comedy – and there’s a lot of it – is what makes the trailer worth watching. Besides, who hasn’t watched a war film and got swept up in the action? We want to see how this one measures up.
The Legend of Zelda
Last but not least, let’s not forget about the amazing and groundbreaking platform that is video games. Over the years, gamers have gotten pretty used to seeing their favorite characters and settings parodied in film and television. And while this may be a bit of an odd choice given the subject matter, the makers of The Legend of Zelda wanted to have some fun with the fandom and incorporated several references to the popular video game series into this trailer. First of all, we get to see Zelda in her iconic dress, a.k.a. The Legend of Zelda – though with a bit of a twist. Instead of having the princess wear a dress, the trailer shows us a topless Zelda, revealing her impressive cleavage. Next, we get to see a bit of gameplay where players control Zelda as she slices through multiple enemies, including humans. Finally, and most notably, we get to see Link, the unlikely hero of The Legend of Zelda, take on the forms of many different animals, as portrayed by some of today’s greatest animators and comedians. From a walrus to a bird, it’s a riot to watch. We can’t wait to see how this one turns out.
Overall Thoughts
As we mentioned above, The Mummy is the first of the Harry Potter trailers to drop, though it wouldn’t be the first horror film to take a shot at the franchise. And while we’re excited about what’s to come from the upcoming Harry Potter film, it’s rather saddening that we have to wait so long for them to come out. The other three films in the trailer aren’t nearly as exciting, but they’re still good fun. The Jungle Book is already available on DVD, so it’ll be nice to have something to watch again. Plus, in 2021, we’ll get to see how Favreau deals with the coming apocalypse in Solo: A Star Wars Story. With Dunkirk, we at least get to see the action stars of today – led by Tom Cruise – on the big screen. Finally, the Legend of Zelda is an amazing achievement in digital animation and will no doubt be a delight to fans of the series.
These trailers may not bring you any great revelations about the films they’re parodying. But if you loved any of the movies that were spoofed, then this is a must-see for you. And for those of you who didn’t know anything about the source material, this is a good opportunity to learn more. With any luck, these spoofs will make you laugh and cry at the same time. Which one is your favorite?