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From Rupert Grint's genuine phobia of spiders to the incredible number of glasses Daniel Radcliffe went through, dive into nine obscure movie secrets from the Harry Potter series that took years for fans to discover.
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00:00Whether it be easter eggs that were simply overlooked, or secrets that were unveiled
00:04via J.K. Rowling's Twitter account, Harry Potter has plenty of untold secrets across
00:08the film series. From secret perforated eardrums to the troublesome Slytherins, Rowling has
00:14had plenty of fun slowly leaking some of the Potter-trudes over the years. Her Twitter
00:19account, as well as the Pottermore page, has served as the ultimate fountain of mythology
00:24for fans around the world. In a made-up world filled with fantastical beasts and freaky
00:29moving staircases, there are bound to be a few unexplained elements. The secrets that
00:34Hogwarts contains are bountiful, but over the years, the drawbridge has been lowered slowly,
00:39revealing the truth behind the mystical and magical world of wizarding and what goes on
00:43behind closed-set doors. Let's take a look at some of the sneaky secrets that have managed
00:48to slither out of the Hogwarts set over the years. Hold on to your broomsticks, because
00:53what we're about to tell you might just blow you away. And with that in mind, I'm Ellie
00:58with WhatCultureHere with nine obscure Harry Potter movie secrets that took years to discover.
01:059. Rupert Grint wasn't acting during the Aragog scene
01:09It turns out wizards aren't the only ones who are scared of spiders. In an interview that
01:15took place after the release of the film The Chamber of Secrets, Rupert Grint had a secret
01:19of his own that he revealed to the world. What you may have thought was excellent acting in
01:25the Aragog scene was actually a genuine phobia that the actor was attempting to harness.
01:30His fear goes as far as making him check his shoes every morning to make sure there are
01:34no spiders in there. Maybe he checks his coffee for slugs, too. Which is worse, filming a scene
01:39with a bunch of spiders or having to throw up a whole load of slugs? Paul Rupert did not
01:43have it easy on the set of Harry Potter, and he probably came away with a few new fears on
01:48top
01:48of the already existing ones. As it turns out, Weasley's fear of spiders stems from Rowling's
01:54fear of spiders in real life. Could there be a spell for curing arachnophobia?
01:598. Harry's Broken Glasses Weren't a Prop
02:02Daniel Radcliffe was made to play Harry Potter. He's just as clumsy when it comes to his glasses,
02:09and ended up needing over 100 pairs to get through the filming. If he wasn't losing them,
02:14he was sitting on them, stepping on them, or simply taking them home for his own little Harry shrine.
02:19At first, he claimed to have stolen a few pairs, but he revealed in an interview that they were
02:24actually given to him as a gift after filming. The broken glasses in the film were a very real prop,
02:29and had over 160 stunt doubles. That's 160 pairs of broken glasses for 8 films. 20 pairs for every
02:38movie. If only Oculus Reparo worked in real life. It has also since been revealed that at first,
02:44Radcliffe was unable to wear the iconic glasses without breaking out in a mysterious rash.
02:48The frames of the glasses contained ingredients known as nickel that can be found in a lot of
02:53cheaply made jewellery and eyewear. It took them a while, but they figured it out, and Harry was
02:58given a very special pair of hypoallergenic glasses, and the rash went away.
03:027. Wizarding Is International
03:05The American sibling of the prestigious school for magic was already hinted at during the Harry
03:10Potter film series. But Rowling has since revealed that there are 11 wizarding schools worldwide,
03:16and that they are all registered with the very important-sounding International Confederation of
03:20Wizards. The fourth installment of the series, The Goblet of Fire, revealed two of the 11 schools,
03:25naming them Durmstrang, and the same magnifique French school known as Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
03:32Since then, it has been revealed that wizarding is a worldwide thing, and is taught all over the
03:37globe in countries such as Japan, Uganda, Brazil, and Northern Europe, and each of the schools has
03:42its own specialities, such as Quidditch, or Herbology, and Magizoology. The Pottermore site
03:48now has an in-depth section regarding the schools for curious fans to study. Would you attend one of
03:53the others, or would you stick to the classic Scotland-based school of Hogwarts? Apparently,
03:57they do look at your proximity to the schools, so you might not have a choice in the matter.
04:026. The books weren't actually floating It can be tough to find a troll to act in your
04:08movie, or a freakishly large spider willing to retake scenes, so a lot of the visual effects in
04:14the film series are done using CGI, but on the odd occasion, the director will employ a very simple
04:19trick to achieve the desired effect. The books in the Hogwarts library are known for rearranging
04:25themselves, but they aren't doing it all by themselves. What actually happened is that there was a huge
04:30behind-the-scenes team consisting of green-gloved individuals. The green gloves work in the same
04:35way as a green screen would, and the post-production team just had to edit the hands out of the
04:39shot.
04:40The result is a fantastic shot in which it appears that Hermione is grabbing a book from the air as
04:45it
04:46floats past and replaces it with a different book. Now, this is some real-life magic that needs more
04:51appreciation than it gets. There are so many moving parts in these movies that there are bound to be a
04:56few little tricks here and there so that they could achieve the perfect moving staircase or talking
05:01hat. 5. Vincent Crabb Was Fired
05:05Have you ever wondered where the third member of the Slytherin posse went? Turns out he was just as
05:10much trouble on set as he was in the movie. Actor Jamie Whalett was fired from the film set after
05:15being
05:16arrested for growing marijuana back in 2009. The character who stepped in to take his place was
05:21Blaise Zabini. Blaise was, however, featured in the books but not meant to appear in the Room of
05:26Requirements scene, causing fans to question what had happened to the original member of the trio.
05:32Losing the role in the movie obviously wasn't enough to set the actor on a straighter path,
05:36and he was arrested again in 2011 for stealing from a shop during the London riots. You can take
05:42the boy out of Slytherin, but you can't take the Slytherin out of the boy, it seems.
05:464. Warner Bros. Couldn't Afford Madam Hooch
05:50Another secret that only the keenest of fans would have noticed is the absence of Madam Hooch from the
05:55films. The Hogwarts flying instructor and Quidditch coach played a significant role in the books but
06:01didn't feature as much as fans expected in the movies. We are first introduced to the character
06:06played by Zoe Wanamaker in The Philosopher's Stone. Her role is to teach Potter how to fly and how to
06:11win.
06:11She is written into the story throughout the books, but doesn't make an appearance past the first
06:16film instalment. Zoe puts the lack of her character being in the movies down to the fact that Warner
06:21Bros. didn't want to increase her salary. In an interview, she said that she had asked for a pay
06:26rise for the remainder of the series but was turned down. Clearly, Warner Bros. either weren't a fan of
06:32her acting or of her character. Maybe the lack of Madam Hooch was for the better. Who knows?
06:383. Radcliffe, Watson and Grint were just being themselves
06:42When filming for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the director at the time, Alfonso Cuaron,
06:47asked the main trio to write an essay about their characters for homework. In true Harry,
06:53Hermione and Ron style, the trio tackled the task appropriate to their characters.
06:57Emma Watson wrote a 16-page essay going into detail about her role. Daniel Radcliffe kept it short but
07:03deep and wrote a meaningful piece that would have received top marks if they were being graded.
07:07Rupert didn't do anything and turned up to set empty-handed, claiming that his character would
07:12have done the same and therefore he had nailed the homework assignment.
07:15This lesser-known behind-the-scenes secret captures just how perfect the casting was for
07:20the movie and explains why the actors nailed their characters and the chemistry on set so well.
07:26The film's series went through quite a few directors, but none of the changes ever affected how
07:31the actors interacted on screen. Daniel, Emma and Rupert are highly skilled at what they do and
07:36were able to maintain their character's identity despite the disruptions along the way.
07:412. Alan Rickman had a soft spot for Snape
07:44Rumour has it that Alan Rickman was informed of his character's loyalties right from the start.
07:50Apparently, when the actor was cast as Snape, JK Rowling told him about his love for Lily and that no
07:55one else knew. As he was the only one to know this very important piece of information,
08:00he would often reject direction from the directors on set. But he also couldn't let anyone in on the
08:05secret, but it was all made clear when his broken heart was revealed in the Deathly Hallows.
08:11Many on set thought that he was simply embodying his character's sass when the cameras weren't
08:15rolling, but it turns out he had good reason for being as stubborn as he was about his character.
08:20David Heyman, the producer of the Harry Potter film series, claimed that there were multiple times
08:25Rickman refused to do as he was told and that it all made sense when the reveal happened.
08:30Alan Rickman is another good example of excellent casting. Rickman understood the assignment and kept
08:36his major secret until the very end, adding to the impact on everyone involved and everyone watching.
08:431. Helena Bonham Carter didn't know she'd stabbed a co-star
08:47Helena Bonham Carter is known for her method acting techniques and has a long history of giving
08:52herself wholly to the role at hand. Fortunately for the viewers, but unfortunately for some of
08:58her co-stars, her role as Bellatrix Lestrange was no exception.
09:02While they were filming for the Deathly Hallows, Helena let things get a little
09:05bit out of hand while acting in the scene where Lestrange has Neville at wand point.
09:10Thinking that the wand was soft and cotton-bad like, Helena went to stick the wand in his ear
09:15just as he moved his head towards her. The small movement unfortunately meant that
09:19Matthew Lewis' eardrum was stabbed, perforating it in the process. Playing it off as if it were
09:25nothing due to politeness and fear for the character, Lewis only fessed up to the injury
09:29weeks later. Bonham Carter was apparently mortified and very apologetic. I mean,
09:35who can blame Lewis for not fessing up sooner? Would you complain to Bellatrix Lestrange that she'd
09:39poked a little too hard at your eardrum? I mean, Lewis really is a sweetheart in real life,
09:44and he fits his character so well.
09:46And that concludes our list. If you can think of any that we missed,
09:50then do let us know in the comments below, and while you're there don't forget to like,
09:53and subscribe, and tap that notification bell. Also head over to Twitter and follow us there,
09:58and I can be found across various social medias just by searching Ellie Littlechild.
10:02I've been Ellie with WhatCulture, I hope you have a magical day, and I'll see you real soon.
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