Harry Potter
franchise star Jason Isaacs gets candid about filming the hit Warner Bros. fantasy saga. Adapting the beloved J. K. Rowling book series, the main Harry Potter movies were released from 2001 to 2011, chronicling Harry’s (Daniel Radcliffe) journey as he faces off against Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Isaacs was introduced as Draco Malfoy’s (Tom Felton) father, Lucius Malfoy, in 2002’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a role he would reprise in all the sequels that followed save for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
During a recent appearance on BBC’s The One Show, Isaacs reflects on filming the Harry Potter movies, admitting that the experience of filming big-budget, special effects-driven projects can be “boring.” Though actually filming the movies may not have been particularly fun for him as an actor, Isaacs stresses that it was all worth it to see the end product, which he says still makes him emotional to this day. Check out his comment below:
“Even though I was in the films, when I’ve taken godchildren or nephews and nieces to the tour and the thing comes up and suddenly you’re in the Great Hall, every time, I burst out in tears. It’s incredibly moving and overwhelming. There’s some magic that happened in those stories.
“It’s a terrible confession to make, they weren’t that much fun to make. It’s quite boring, making big special effects films.
“However the pleasures all come afterwards. I see and meet people for whom their lives were changed by it, and still people reading it and sharing it with their children. Some people say their lives were saved by it and I believe it.”
Why Effects-Driven Blockbusters Can Be Boring For Actors
Isaacs’ admission about filming the Harry Potter movies isn’t particularly novel in the world of blockbuster filmmaking. Though what ends up on screen is exciting and filled with action and wonder, being on a film set, especially one with a massive crew and a large budget, usually means a lot of waiting around. Plus, on a large fantasy production like Harry Potter, a lot of post-production work is needed to bring spells, locations, and creatures to life, meaning actors sometimes don’t know what something might look like while they’re acting on set.
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The Rise & Fall Of Lucius Malfoy: The Harry Potter Character’s History Explained
Lucius Malfoy went through quite the fall from grace in Harry Potter, and his traumatic decline got its start long before Voldemort’s downfall.
As Isaacs says, though, the less fun aspects of making Harry Potter paid off in the end. All eight of the core films were successful critically and commercially, and many of the Harry Potter cast members are still best known for their roles in the franchise, Isaacs included. The franchise remains so beloved and so valuable that Max is now remaking Rowling’s novels into a TV show.
The Harry Potter TV show doesn’t yet have a firm release window, but it is expected to debut on Max in 2026 or 2027.
The Max TV Show Faces An Uphill Battle
For many actors, appearing in a movie is just a job. Isaacs’ comments, however, suggest that the Harry Potter movies are more than that for him, and his admission about tearing up when he tours locations from the movies speaks to the lasting power of the franchise. Plus, it’s clearly a special feeling for Isaacs, knowing he was part of something that changed lives for the better.
Isaacs’ comments underline just how high of a bar the upcoming Harry Potter TV show faces. All eight movies in the original saga still hold up well today, and Isaacs evidently continues to hear from fans about the impact they made. Even though the Harry Potter movies may have been “boring” to make, the movies themselves and their lasting effects are anything but.
Source: BBC’s The One Show
Harry Potter
- Cast
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Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alfred Enoch, Harry Melling, Gary Oldman, Robert Pattinson, Warwick Davis, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, David Bradley, David Thewlis, Katie Leung, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, Jamie Campbell Bower, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Johnny Depp, Mads Mikkelsen