Whedonesque : Comments on 7665 : Joss Whedon on directing Harry Potter.

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August 26 2005

Joss Whedon on directing Harry Potter. "In a web chat with Empire Online, the following question was posed to the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and the upcoming Serenity movie about the possibility of directing a Harry Potter film."

SpikeBad | General | 00:11 CET | 26 comments total | tags: directing, harry potter, joss whedon

The original Leaky Cauldron link might be better since it is a stand-alone link to this particular topic (whereas you have just provided a general link to Mugglenet, and the Joss topic won't be at the top of that page for long).

[ edited by chickenbird on 2005-08-25 22:33 ]

chickenbird | August 26, 00:32 CET

huh, reading through the thread there makes me appreciate our mods even more than I already do...

gingeriffic | August 26, 00:45 CET

Hear, hear, gingeriffic... Here's another round of "You guys rock!" to the Whedonesque mods...

RambleOn623 | August 26, 00:52 CET

Oh god. Harry Potter AND Joss? My mind would explode. I would love for this to happen.

obsessed | August 26, 01:41 CET

That'd be so much fanboy goodness, I don't think I could handle it.

But I vote "yea" anyway.

Emma Frost | August 26, 01:48 CET

It'd be nice if the HP films had an American director who didn't muck them up.

[ edited by bookrats on 2005-08-25 23:50 ]

bookrats | August 26, 01:49 CET

I don't know what to think about this. On one hand, it would probably be great for Joss's career in some ways, like it would provide a great deal of exposure. But I think that he has stayed out of the mainstream so far, yet achieved enormous success, and to direct such a commercial film may also work against him.

I'm a Harry Potter fan, I do like the books, and the films are enjoyable, but so far the only things I have been impressed with are the special effects and how well Rowling's ideas have translated to the screen, but I don't think the acting is very good and I don't think the story translates as well to a film. I'm sure Joss could do great things with it, but I think something more original and unusual deserves his attention. Like a Serenity sequel.

Razor | August 26, 01:52 CET

I'd rather Joss did more of HIS stories. HP is JK Rowlings creative vision, and she has far more creative say than most writers when it comes to movie adaptations. Having seen Serenity I want more of the same, movies where Joss is in total control.

zz9 | August 26, 02:11 CET

If that could happen, they 'd have to let Joss direct and write the script, cause the previous movies did suffer a lot with a awful screenwriter.
But hey, that would be really cool.

Numfar PTB | August 26, 02:18 CET

I think the way Joss put it was a kind way of saying "Not going to happen." Heck, HP7 isn't even written yet!

Gill | August 26, 02:25 CET

I concur with Numfar, as Joss plainly loves the HPverse. Joss + Rowling? I think I'd squeee myself into total disapparation. *BANG*

bogu_salias | August 26, 02:27 CET

I think my little fangirl heart would go all 'splodey if this were to happen. But, then, I'd watch anything Joss directs. ;)

powerof3 | August 26, 02:32 CET

Well, the problem is that Joss is all about the moral complexity - and Rowling isn't so much.

Psuedopod | August 26, 03:04 CET

Could be a VERY cool combination but I rather see an Angel big-screen movie....and a Spike TV show...and a The Ripper BBC style mini-series.....and a lot of Swedish potato chips...

Jonas | August 26, 03:05 CET

Psuedopod, I think book six has a good deal more moral complexity than we've seen in previous books. It's not completely out of the realm of possibility.

chickenbird | August 26, 03:27 CET

Actually, Psuedopod, I think Snape is a brilliantly drawn, morally complex character. Or, at least, he was until the end of HBP. Which actually may have been a big ruse, meaning he remains morally complex. Anyway, Right up Joss' alley...

rbt | August 26, 03:28 CET

Yeah, bobtaylor, chickenbird. At points, HP manages to be more morally complex, and with less 2D characters than the majority of fantasy - LoTR definitely included. And Snape at the end of HBP is actually very likely to be an example of even more moral complexity, in my opinion. As bobtaylor said, a ruse.

Funny how a few Leaky Cauldron - and MuggleNet - commenters seem to think similar things of Joss' work - melodramatic, cheesy, corny, slick gloss [which tends to not go along with moral complexity] =)

[ edited by Serge on 2005-08-26 01:40 ]

Kaneda | August 26, 03:40 CET

Eh. I'm a fan of the books, and anything Joss does will at least be decent, but I suspect the high-profile nature of the project (and the fact that it's #7 in a franchise) would end up muffling Joss' voice.

Not to sound like a broken record here, but I'd much rather see something new from him.

bobothebrave | August 26, 03:58 CET

I'd love to see Joss direct Draco's crying scene in HBP. Guh. And, yes, those threads (the MuggleNet one and TLC) DO make you appreciate the Whedonesque threads. All hail the Whedon.

[ edited by adam_tvs on 2005-08-26 02:14 ]

Knuckleball | August 26, 04:06 CET

That would be AWESOME if Joss directed a Harry Potter movie. My life would be complete!

fortunateizzi | August 26, 08:04 CET

It would be wonderful, but unless there's a truly supernatural alignment of schedules, it's not going to happen.

(Besides, I think the Rowling/Whedon team up would fall apart when she vetoes Joss' idea of Hermione turning evil and trying to destroy the world.)

cjl | August 26, 18:25 CET

As much as I love Joss, I would not want him to direct a Harry Potter movie. Joss' visions are so unique and wonderful that I can't see him directing something that was not from his own brilliant creativity. I think it would be stifling for him.

I'd rather him do more Serenity movies and get back to putting the Whedonverse on tv.

Tracy | August 26, 19:44 CET

If Joss wants to direct Harry Potter, I hope he can direct Harry Potter. But I agree, Joss' work is best when he has complete control over the story.

electricspacegirl | August 26, 20:19 CET

Actually, by the time I finished book six, I couldn't stop comparing Buffy and Harry Potter - in a good way.

To me, the two seem to have a lot in common, as far as themes go. For example, Harry being "the chosen one", forced to fight "alone" - but with his friends at his side. The last chapter really nailed down the similarities.

And hey, Draco will be a few years older by the time the 7th movie comes around - maybe Marsters could get involved.

VampiresSuckLOLOLGetIt | August 26, 21:31 CET

My heart skipped a beat when I read this. I have been advocating on message board after message board for Joss Whedon to direct a HP film since the third movie came out. My heart sank when I realized it was not even true. I still have hope.

Turtle | August 26, 22:00 CET

No doubt in my mind that Joss could do an extraordinary job. If he was offered the opportunity and he had the time and desire to do it (not that I'm counting on such a miraculous event), I'd be all for it.

Just imagine HP through the JW lens -- all that angsty, tumultuous, vulnerable adolescent complexity (and magick!) channeled by someone with a dynamic visual vocabulary and proven sense of emotional nuance. And Snape! He's just made for the Whedon treatment.

Serenity kicking the bottom out of the summer movie doldrums in the next month could, of course, complicate things considerably ;)

Wiseblood | August 26, 23:16 CET

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