Harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban movie#
Cuaron’s commitment to making the movie his own is echoed in later franchise decisions, such as the addition of one of the most quiet, most intimate scenes in the entire series: Hermione and Harry dancing in Deathly Hallows: Part 1.įurther Reading: How Harry Potter Was Nearly Very Different In Prisoner of Azkaban, Cuaron adds the Shrunken Heads onto the Knight Bus. Though even the least faithful of Harry Potter films are still pretty darn faithful, both Prisoner of Azkabanand Deathly Hallows: Part 1aren’t afraid to add elements, in addition to taking out details in the interest of time. But, at the same time, I was trying to make something that I could feel my own. I had to be very respectful to the source material, but also to the two previous films. Read more: 8 In-Universe Harry Potter Books to AdaptĬuaron described this challenge to IGN, saying: the novel, were a huge turning point for the Harry Potterfranchise that would go on to affect other Harry Potterinstallments, most notably, Deathly Hallows: Part 1. This is a skill Cuaron had also demonstrated in his excellent adaptation of A Little Princessalmost a decade prior, and one that would be infused into the best young adult film franchises moving forward.įurther Reading: How Harry Potter Shaped Modern Internet Fandom Azkaban isn’t afraid to change the source material.Īs much as I hate that Cuaron left out much of the Marauder’s backstory in his retelling of Prisoner of Azkaban, overall, his comfort with making changes to Rowling’s source material in the interest of pacing, continuity, and the respective strengths and weaknesses of film vs. Given the nature of these characters being a bit older than in the first two films, it’s understandable that Columbus wasn’t able to tease these same notes out in The Sorceror’s Stoneor Chamber of Secrets,but Cuaron’s general interest in the rich, inner lives of Harry, Ron, and Hermione is a vast improvement on their earlier characterizations.Ĭuaron gives both these characters and the movie’s young audience more credit, asking more of his viewers than Columbus ever did. He changed the status quo for all book-to-film adaptations aimed at young people, making the next decade in blockbuster cinema a much more interesting place.
Harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban series#
Doubtfire.Ĭuaron’s entrance into the Harry Potter franchise would set the tone for a more complex adaptation of children’s books, heading into a prolific time for adaptations of young adult book series in particular (partially inspired by Harry Potter‘s success). Cuaron didn’t just change the Harry Potter franchise with his direction of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
This makes sense, given that American director Chris Columbus, who helmed the first two movies, had made many of the most iconic family movies of the last few decades, including Home Alone, Adventures in Babysitting, and Mrs. Rowling’s bestselling series, more or less in line with other film adaptations of children’s books.
As we reach the 15th anniversary of the film’s release, let’s break down why this film was so important in the history of cinema and adaptation storytelling…īefore Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron came on board the Harry Potterfranchise to direct the third film, the series was very much a straight-forward, by-the-book adaptation of J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanisn’t just the film that changed the Harry Potterfilm franchise forever, creating a richer on-screen universe for this beloved story, but helped shape the next decade of young adult film franchises for the better as a whole.