The end of the Harry Potter saga could not have been felt more intensely by fans who dedicated their childhood to the films. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, in particular, started their journey right before 2001, when the youngest of the three was only 9 years old. That world ended for them in July of 2011 with the final Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II premiere.
This abrupt denouement is more impactful for those in the film because fans are still revisiting Harry and his friends over and over again. At the London premiere, Rowling herself said, "whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."
Audiences can only imagine the bittersweet apprehension from those last days on set. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part II had this unique opportunity to have the wizarding world go out with a bang and everyone, from the cast to the crew, probably felt the importance of getting these scenes just right. This is why we're giving you ten behind-the-scenes facts about the making of the final Harry Potter film.
McGonagall and Snape's Fight Scene Was Almost Cut
In the final novel during the Battle of Hogwarts, there is a scene in which Snape and McGonagall duel. Thankfully, this still happens in the film, but it came very close to being rewritten. The producers wanted to change the scene to be between Harry and Snape.
Rowling came to the rescue to save this decisive moment because she wanted the battle scenes to be exactly as they are in the book. She saw it as a key moment for McGonagall, plus it gave a brief insight into Snape's true intentions. If you pay attention, you'll see that Snape redirects one of McGonagall's spells to kill the Carrows.
Alan Rickman (Snape) has also said that he felt very awkward filming this scene because he "worshipped" Dame Maggie Smith (McGonagall) and felt intimidated next to her.
There Are Hidden Cameos In The Room of Requirement
The Room of Requirement's essential purpose is to act as a clutter box filled with odds and ends of long-forgotten items. This gave filmmakers the perfect opportunity to literally stow away Easter eggs within the room. There are various old props hidden in these scenes, which can be easily spotted... if you know where to look.
Neville's Mimbulus Mimbletonia can be seen on a desk in here as well as the Cornish Pixies from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. If you look at the bottom left-hand corner during this scene, you will also see the giant knight from the Sorcerer's Stone that Ron uses to win the wizard's chess obstacle.
The Final Script Was 500 Pages
One aspect of the Harry Potter movies that die-hard book fans can't let go of is how different the movies translate on screen. But considering that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is over 750 pages (US version), the filmmakers had no choice but to chop out characters and scenes.
In fact, the last installment of the franchise is so long that the final script ended up being 500 pages long. Movie scripts generally translate to one page per minute, which means a 500-page script is about 8 hours long! It's no wonder that the final film had to be cut in two.
The Franchise Never Won An Oscar
When it comes to the realm of fantasy and imagination, you would think that the Harry Potter franchise would be first in line to receive an Oscar. Lord of the Rings had picked up over ten Oscars, including Best Picture, while other pop culture conglomerates like Marvel and Star Wars have also received their fair share of awards.
Ten years of creating the Harry Potter movies gave way to the expectation that the final film would be the one to finally take home an Academy Award. In 2012, it was nominated for three, but sadly did not win any awards. This means that none of the Harry Potter films won an Oscar (unless you count Fantastic Beasts in 2017).
Rupert Grint Gave His Co-Stars Strange Gifts
Anyone who has watched the DVD extras or behind-the scenes-filming on YouTube has probably stumbled across the heart-warming farewell speeches that each of the actors gave on their last day of filming. Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and David Thewlis (Remus Lupin) took their final bows on the same day, and the Golden Trio said their goodbyes to the cast and crew on June 12, 2010.
What you don't see is that Rupert Grint gave trumpets to Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe as a farewell gift. Grint and Emma Watson also apparently used his infamous ice cream truck to hand out sweets on the last day on set.
The Final Scene Was Actually In The Ministry
The flash-forward epilogue is the scene that audiences signify as the end of the Harry Potter era. However, as is usual in filmmaking, the last scene in the film is not the last scene that was shot.
The final day on set for Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson was the Ministry of Magic scene when the trio dives head-first into the fireplace to make their escape. It was shot in front of a green screen and only took a couple of takes before the director called "That's a wrap."
The Last Casting Role
The very last person cast for the Harry Potter franchise was Kelly Macdonald. Macdonald plays the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw. Her small role in the film helps Harry find the last tangible Horcrux, Ravenclaw's diadem, that was needed in order to destroy Voldemort.
Macdonald is also the voice of Merida in Brave and can be seen in No Country For Old Men.
Lily's Theme
"Hedwig's Theme" is the familiar ring that audiences hear at the beginning of every Harry Potter film. Fun fact — the final film is the only one that doesn't play this tune in the opening credits alongside the film's title and the Warner Brothers logo.
In addition to "Hedwig's Theme," composer Alexandre Desplat came up with another melody for the last movie. It's called "Lily's Theme" and it only plays when Snape is looking out over Hogwarts, the last time Harry speaks to his mother, and during Snape's death scene.
J.K Rowling's Secrets
Most people are aware of the fact the Rowling told Alan Rickman of Snape's highly confidential backstory long before she wrote the final book. Along the way, Rickman used this knowledge to tell filmmakers when dialogue needed to be changed in order to more accurately portray Snape's true character.
Daniel Radcliffe was also privy to some insight before the last book was published. If you remember back in 2007, there were intense rumors coming out saying that Harry Potter would die at the end of the book's saga. Radcliffe worked up the nerve to actually ask the author if Harry dies (before the book's publication) to which she replied, "You get a death scene."
So, Radcliffe was prepared for this scene at least three years before he actually shot it.
Draco's Cut Scene
There were a ton of improvised scenes during the days of Harry Potter, even during the climax. Ralph Fiennes, who played Voldemort, actually shocked the cast and crew in the ad-lib scene where he hugs Draco (Tom Felton). To some, it's a cringy moment, but one that stayed in the final cut just the same.
One scene that didn't make it past the editors involves Draco turning on the Death Eaters to join Harry and the rest of Hogwarts. When Harry reveals that he's alive, there is an actual scene that was shot where Draco breaks away from Voldemort's side, runs towards Harry and throws him a wand. You can see it here.