VOD Spotlight: Magic meets the real world in latest "Harry Potter" film

In the Harry Potter films, Hogwarts is both the refuge and the place where Harry and friends meet danger. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Harry, Ron and Hermione are grown up and on their own, searching out pieces of Voldemort’s soul in the real world. In this, the first of the two-part conclusion to the series, Hogwarts is never even seen.

“We’re away from the magical environment of Hogwarts, which felt very safe even when the characters were in utter jeopardy,” says director David Yates. “Suddenly Harry, Ron and Hermione are trying to survive out in the big, bad world, and it’s a dangerous place. They feel isolated and alone and very vulnerable. It makes the adventure much edgier and more grown-up, which really appealed to me, and to Dan, Rupert and Emma as well.”

Star Daniel Radcliffe adds, “I think it gives the film a more adult tone because it’s harder to see us as school kids when we’re no longer at school.”

“Harry, Hermione and Ron don’t have a home anymore,” says Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger. “They are always on the move and, worse, they are being hunted, so they don’t know who to trust. But the stakes are high, so they have to be brave.”

But though the film was shot in England, Wales and Germany (for the theft of the Elder Wand), the real world takes on magical overtones and the clashes between the young wizards and their enemies are fierce. Over 500 wands were created for this film and at the end of each shooting day, many came back broken.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” is now showing on Video On Demand. Check your cable system for availability.

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