How Cringe-Worthy Was The First Harry Potter Movie?

Harry Potter Americanized

Joined by series star Rupert Grint at the British Embassy’s Creative Content Summit, Harry Potter series producer David Heyman looked back on 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first film in the lucrative J.K. Rowling boy wizard franchise, and revealed which parts now make him "want to cringe."

“The visual effects industry developed substantially over the 11 to 12 years of making the films. I look at some of the first film [made in 2001] and want to cringe," he said, adding that later films in the series marked vast improvements on the screen and in the franchise's behind the scenes technical infrastructure.

Heyman also had issues with Warner Bros.' merchandising campaign tied to the first film, reports Wired:

He went on to say that for the first film there was so much merchandising that it was “shocking.” He said that he knew that Warner Bros. had gone “too far” when he saw Harry Potter toilet paper. However, since then, Warner Bros. has reined it in and produced a “really elevated, high-range program.”

At least the studio didn't go for Americanizing the very British tale — so British, Voldemort and Rowling made it into the Olympic Opening Ceremony — which Heyman says the suits wanted to do at one point: "Heyman was thankful that the movie franchise retained the Britishness of the books, after some movie execs initially considered moving the story to the United States with 'cheerleaders and the likes' but he said 'that never rang true.'"

[Wired via Movie City News]



Comments

  • r361n4 says:

    Thank god they didn't make it american, that would have been terrible and us Potter fans would have literally Rioted until we got the movie we deserved

  • max says:

    What's so bad or surprising about the visual effects from 2001 anyway? Of course there will be progression and improvements; it's a creative art after all. Old does not necessarily mean bad. They should be proud instead of ashamed to be part of such a successful series of movies. Do they also feel bad about the millions they made from the movies and all that merchandise too? I doubt it.

  • Christmas2019 says:

    Weird. I don't have any problem with the effects. The only cringing I do during the first movie is at Daniel and Rupert's acting when they attempt to look anguished or scared.

  • Mike says:

    What exactly do Americans have angainst philosophers, anyway?

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