If you’ve been anywhere near a movie theater in the last few months, you’d know that the Harry Potter franchise has returned! And what a treat it is to see the actors from the Potter films making an appearance on the big screen again. Robert Pattinson, the film’s main protagonist, took time out of his schedule to speak with The Huffington Post about how he feels about revisiting these characters and this world, and what fans can expect from the upcoming installment, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
‘Bigger Than Life’
In the first film of the franchise, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” Robert Pattinson plays the dual roles of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the teenage son of the title character. “The first one is obviously going to be bigger than life in a way, but I don’t think there’s any one character that’s going to be bigger than life,” he said. “I think that the whole thing is bigger than life.”
The actor described the experience of playing Harry Potter as “breathtaking.” He continued, “To be able to put yourself in that position, it’s such a gift. And it’s something that not a lot of people get to do. It’s such a unique opportunity to be able to play two different parts. You get to see yourself differently through each character. And that’s what’s so great about it.”
Now, nearly a decade later, Robert Pattinson is taking on the role of Harry Potter once more, in what is expected to be the final film of the franchise.
‘A Different Take On A “Classic” Narrative’
The actor explained that, as with all the previous films in the franchise, he is going to approach his role as Harry Potter with a different take. “The script is different, the nature of it is different,” he said. “This is a much different story to tell, I think, than any of the other ones that have come before it. It’s a little more fantastical… I don’t want to spoil it, because it’s such an interesting concept, but it’s certainly different.”
In the latest film, Voldemort (Richard Harris), the main villain of the series, is still alive. Played by Michael Caine in the classic British television series, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” Richard Harris returned for one last hurrah as the immortal madman. In the film, Voldemort is attempting to raise an army of undead to conquer the Earth. But instead of gathering together a group of wizards to help him, Harry Potter must team up with his friends from his school days to defeat the Dark Lord once and for all.
Interestingly, due to length restrictions, the plot of “Deathly Hallows” was reduced to a four-film arc, meaning that the majority of the story arcs from the other films were excluded. This resulted in a somewhat lighter narrative than previous installments, and allowed the filmmakers to expand on the worldbuilding established in earlier movies. As a result, the characters often sounded less like caricatures and more like real people. For example, the Weasley brothers sounded more like real brothers, and a lot more comedy was introduced into the story. Of course, the film still had its tragic elements, but they were woven more skillfully into the fabric of the story.
‘Harry Potter Is Back!’
The fact that the film series is returning after such a long hiatus is undoubtedly a cause for celebration. “I’m so glad that we’re all going to get to go back, and it’s been a while since we’ve all been together,” said actress Emma Watson. “So many of us have gotten married, had babies, and been through so much in the last ten years that it’ll be really great to have a bit of a reunion.”
Fellow cast members, Emma Thompson and Billie Piper, echoed her sentiments. “We’re all really, really, really, really, really, really excited to be back,” said Piper. “And it’s been a long time since we’ve all been on set together. So I think it’ll be great to have a bit of a relaunch, a bit of an ending, and a lot of fun.”
The actors are particularly looking forward to reprising their roles on the big screen. “I’m really, really, really, really, really, really looking forward to it,” said Thompson. “I went to the premiere of the last one, and it was great to see the characters that we all grew up with on the big screen again. So although it’s terrible that they’ve had to wait so long for this, it’ll be great to get a new start again.”
‘A Whole New World’
While it’s great to see the actors from the Harry Potter franchise back on the big screen, it’s also exciting to see a whole new group of people stepping into these roles. As well as revisiting some of the classic characters, the franchise also introduced us to a whole new generation of witches and wizards. “I think that there’s been a shift in the type of person that’s going to be picking up the mantle of Harry Potter,” said Emma Watson. “I think that there’s been a shift from sort of Boy Wizards to thinking about what it means to be a Wizard.”
Watson is absolutely right. Since the release of the first film in 2001, the Harry Potter franchise has expanded to include numerous spin-off novels and comics. As well as creating a whole new world of witches and wizards, J.K. Rowling has also introduced us to a whole new generation of characters. While some may still consider this version of Harry Potter to be a stereotype, the series as a whole has transcended its intended demographic and become an international phenomenon.
When asked about which parts of the world she has visited while touring as an international ambassador for the Harry Potter franchise, Emma Thompson answered without hesitation: “Every single country. We’ve been to all of them. I’ve been to Singapore, which is such a magical place. And then the whole of Scandinavia. We went to Stockholm and saw the Northern Lights, and it was absolutely breathtaking. So every country offers something different, and for me that’s exciting. It means we’re definitely reaching a whole new audience. And that’s what I like about Harry Potter.”
For fans of the series, the question is: Will you be seeing these characters and this world again, either in the form of a movie or a play? And if so, which parts are you most looking forward to revisiting? Let us know by tweeting us @HuffPostFilm or @huffpostwritethat out.