Four different directors have put their own stamp on the Harry Potter series. While Chris Columbus created a childlike world full of magic in the first two parts, Alfonso Cuarón gave the series a dark aesthetic in part 3. Mike Newell’s controversial vision in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was eventually replaced for the final four films by David Yates, who gave the series its balance.
Before we can experience how the series will be reissued through the upcoming Harry Potter series, we can now attempt another thought experiment. Now Fight Club director David Fincher revealed that he was in the running to direct the Harry Potter series. He had one though particularly dark vision.
“Not a slick Hollywood version”: David Fincher wanted to make dark Harry Potter films
As David Fincher revealed to Variety, he was invited by Warner Bros. to pitch their Harry Potter film adaptations. He had his own idea of adapting JK Rowling’s novels:
I was invited to talk about the Harry Potter films. I remember saying, ‘I just don’t want to do a slick Hollywood version of this. I want to make something that looks more like Withnail & I, and I want it to be a little creepy.
However, this dark version was out of the question for Warner Bros., as Fincher further explained: “You meant, ‘We want Tom Brown’s Schooldays with a bit of Oliver!'”
Watch a trailer for Whitnail & I here:
Withnail and I – Trailer (German)
Ultimately nothing came of the collaboration and Warner initially decided on Chris Columbus’ vision, which was more in line with the studio’s ideas. Whether David Fincher from The Prisoner of Azkaban would have been as good a choice as Alfonso Cuarón can only be speculated today. However, it would be difficult for any fan to imagine a different version than the one we saw in the cinema.
When is the Harry Potter series coming?
We are getting a new film adaptation of JK Rowling’s novel series with the Harry Potter series, which is scheduled to start filming from the middle of this year. The first season should finally reach us at the end of 2026 or 2027. Until then, you can read everything you need to know about the series here. And you can listen to whether the Harry Potter series is a good idea in our podcast:
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In the podcast we answer important questions about the series in which Harry Potter creator JK Rowling is involved. Among them: Why is Rowling’s involvement so criticized? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of remaking the books?