A new deepfake video transforms Millie Bobby Brown into Harry Potter’s Hermione Granger. Brown is currently known for her work on the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, however, in recent years, she’s branched out, kicking off a film career with much promise. And, much like Emma Watson, Brown’s acting career began at a very young age.
Though there has been an increasing amount of talk among fans and sometimes by the stars themselves with regard to a Harry Potter reboot, the likelihood of it happening any time soon is considerably small. Still, that hasn’t stopped people from discussing who the ideal cast would be to take on the key roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. The three young Hogwarts students marked their arrival at the famed witch and wizarding school at age 11, meaning that Brown is already far too old to be considered for a role as coveted as that of Granger. However, as previously mentioned, both Brown and Watson share some similarities – for example, though both are English, neither was born in England. And of course, there's the strange coincidence that Brown’s Stranger Things character is named Eleven – the exact age of admission for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Most recently, the similarities between Brown and Watson seemed enough for at least one industrious fan, as Brown was given the deepfake treatment. YouTube user Jarkan [h/t Comic Book] has created a very convincing video of Brown as Hermione Granger in the latest online attempt at imagining a world in which different stars were cast in the iconic franchise. The video showcases Granger throughout the series, with Brown’s face substituted for Granger’s so seamlessly that at times it’s easy to forget she was never Granger to begin with:
Over the course of the last several years, deepfakes have become particularly popular, and with each new attempt that creators make, the fakes seem to turn out more convincing than ever. In the case of Brown as Granger, it’s clear how good the process can end up. In fact, Jarkan’s substitution of Brown for Watson can’t help but ask what could have been. Had Brown been the right age when Harry Potter was first being cast, could she have ended up becoming the face of Granger instead of Watson? That’s something that no one can ever definitively answer, but judging by this latest deepfake, there’s plenty of reason to think that Brown could very well have ended up as the popular character.
At the same time, fans have a special attachment to Granger as seen in the films. If some Harry Potter fans balk at the idea of someone else playing Harry other than Daniel Radcliffe, then it’s easy to understand why Granger fans would feel the same about Watson. Deepfakes are certainly lots of fun, but simply because an actor’s face fits where another’s once was does not mean that their version of the character would be as memorable. There’s much more to an actor than just how they look and after 8 feature films as Granger, Watson’s ability and charm as the character has been well-proven.
Source: Jarkan [h/t Comic Book]