Harry Potter TV series leaves crew 'bewildered' as filming for 'British national treasure' begins in France

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Filming for the Harry Potter TV series kicked off this week, but the crew have already been left 'bewildered' by the producers choice of location.
Cast and crew have have set up on the Île de Sein off the coast of Brittany where they are thought to be re-creating the famous moment that Hagrid says, 'You're a wizard Harry!'
In the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry is taken away the Hut-on-the-Rock by the Dursleys to in an attempt to prevent the letters from Hogwarts reaching him.
However, Rubeus Hagrid, flys to the hut and forces his way inside to find Harry, give him his acceptance letter and reveal the truth about his parents death.
In the book, the hut is off the coast of Cornwall, with the films having been shot entirely in the UK, but the TV show's producers sought a breezier location.
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A source told The Sun: 'This caused a certain amount of amusement among the British crew who all agreed that they could have easily got windswept in virtually any part of the British Isles.
'They've been slightly bewildered by the fact they've actually gone to France to make a show which is so British — particularly since it's the first place they've gone to and they're doing key scenes there.
'For fans it's likely to be a sign that with American producers running the show, it might not be as mindful of Harry Potter as a national treasure that shouldn't be tampered with.'
The latest leading trio were finally announced this week after months of speculation - with Dominic McLaughlin landing the title role, while Arabella Stanton is set to play Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout will portray Ron Weasley.
JK Rowling gave her approval to the trio cast as the new child stars of the multi-million-pound TV adaptation - after previously giving short shrift to racists complaining about producers' picks.
There has been some online backlash against what has been branded ' woke ' reinterpreting of the wizarding franchise based on the seven bestselling books by Rowling, 59, which prompted eight movie versions.
But the multi-millionaire author yesterday gave her first public response to the new Harry Potter television casting announcement, with showbusiness insiders suggesting she would have a key role in the new productions.
One fan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, asking the bestselling author to inform the new recruits the wizarding franchise's creator felt about their casting.
And now Rowling has responded by declaring: 'All three are wonderful. I couldn't be happier.'
The writer was replying to a tweet which said: '@jk_rowling @streamonmax @harrypotter Please tell Dominic, Arabella and Alistair that they are already loved by the fandom and we can't wait to see the show!
'We wish them all the best and that they have a magic time.'
The new adaptation will be spread across seven seasons, equal to the number of books - although there were eight films with the final Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows split into two parts.
The HBO TV show is said to be costing £75million per episode - and the three child actors taking the lead roles have been tipped to land themselves even bigger fortunes than the original stars.
Producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod praised the 'wonderful' talent of the three newcomers, when making Tuesday's casting announcement.
They said: 'After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
'The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen.
'We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.'
Rowling released the first Harry Potter novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997, followed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the following year.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released in 1999, followed by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2000.
Three years later Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix was published and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2005.
The final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released in 2007.
Daniel Radcliffe took on the role of protagonist Harry Potter in the film franchise.
Emma Watson played Hermione, while Rupert Grint was Ron Weasley.
The first movie was released in 2001 and the final one came out in 2011. They played their roles for a decade.