A comedic star fromScott Pilgrim vs. the Worldhas recently revealed they turned down a role in theHarry Potterfranchise for fear of becoming too famous in the movie industry. Now, the actor is ready to undertake big franchise roles.Harry Potterhas evolved to become one of the most notable IPs in pop culture, gaining immense popularity from the release of its first book,Philosopher’s Stone, in 1997, and has since expanded into a stage play, video games, and spin-offs.
Despite die-hard fans still sitting on the fence regarding the new reboot, HBO is going full steam ahead by casting several actors to carry the legacy of beloved characters.Harry Potter’s golden trio was recently revealed to the public, joining previous casting announcements revealing John Lithgow would be playing Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as the next in line to play Professor McGonagall succeeding the late and great Dame Maggie Smith, andI May Destroy You’s Paapa Essiedu as the new Severus Snape.
Michael Cera Reveals He Turned Down a Harry Potter Role in Fantastic Beasts
While appearing onThe Louis Theroux Podcast,Scott Pilgrimstar Michael Cera revealed that he was once involved in theHarry Potterspin-off franchiseFantastic Beasts, but he passed on a role due to the pressures of fame. “I think I just declined to engage with it…it would be six years commitment…I had a big fear of doing things that I would get too famous,” Cera explained, referring to the often lengthy contracts actors are legally obligated to fulfill when signing onto big franchises, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jumping on the bandwagon, fellow actorGerard Butler also revealed he auditioned forHarry Potterrecently, and the role the Scottish star was up for is a surprising one. Whether Cera was up for Eddie Redmayne’s leading role was not disclosed, but the actor is now ready to undertake bigger acting commitments, saying, “I think I’ve outgrown that particular feeling…if a franchise came along now and seemed interesting… I don’t think I would storm out of the office.”
“I don’t even know if I was offered, I think I just declined to engage with it because I think it would be like probably six years commitment or something.”
TheFantastic Beastsfilms kicked off in 2016, following Redmayne’s Newt Scamander in a story set decades beforeHarry Potter’s The Boy Who Lived arc, and focusing on Albus Dumbledore and antagonist Gellert Grindelwald. The series produced two other sequels, 2018’sThe Crimes of Grindelwaldand 2022’sThe Secrets of Dumbledore, and the spin-off has been radio silent since. Three years after its last entry, however, theFantastic Beastsfranchise received a disappointing updatelate last year, which explained why the prequel series had not continued, which means fans’ attention is now firmly fixed on HBO’s adaptation.
It’s understandable why someHarry Potterfans were disgruntled to hear of a reboot, when the original eight films are considered timeless by most. However, on a more positive note,several story arcs are missing from the originalHarry Potterfilmsthat HBO could deliver in the television series. Some of those stories include Peeves the poltergeist’s time in the small-screen spotlight, a resolution to Harry and Dudley’s strained relationship, and even a moment from the source material that sees Harry grieving for Sirius Black in Dumbledore’s office. The HBO series could be a fantastic opportunity for fans to see a litany of plot points and character developments play out, while still keeping the original films close to their hearts.
