A truly breath-taking array of Harry Potter photographs have entered the public domain courtesy of the latest issue of Vanity Fair. Taken by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, the fantastic pictures show the pupils and faculty of Hogwarts in all their costumed splendour.
Snape can be seen getting up to no good in his potions laboratory, Dumbledore and McGonagall are pictured against the school's grand staircase and all of the film's other major characters are present and correct to be seen for the first time.
The accompanying article provides a look behind the scenes of Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone, including talks with director Christopher Columbus about taking on the hottest franchise property since a certain number by George Lucas. "There were a lot of directors who wanted to do this film," he told Vanity Fair. "So it was a little nerve-racking. I hadn't really interviewed for a job in quite some time."
Despite early accusations to the contrary, Columbus insists that his intention was always to remain true to the books. "It was a very simple, logical theory: if the books are so popular with people, why would you change them?" His fidelity to the source was, however, aided by a little voice that took the form of an admonitory young daughter. "She would have killed me," he says. "Eleanor was my constant barometer. You can't incorporate everything from a novel into a film. But if I lose an element from the film, I'll say, 'We lost this particular piece.' And she'll say, 'Dad, you can't lose that that's everybody's favourite!'"
Potter creator JK Rowling was also concerned about staying true to her vision at the outset of the project. "We were inundated with offers from film companies and I said no to all of them - even Warner," says Rowling. "But they kept coming back. I'm not against the idea of a film - I love films. The vital thing for me was that it would be true to the book and I have great faith in Warner's commitment to that."
Happy with the way her creation has been realised, Rowling seems as excited as the rest of us to finally see Harry on the screen: "The thing I'm most looking forward to is seeing Quidditch. I've been watching it in my head for nine years now and finally I'll get to see it along with everybody else."
-- Vanity Fair, October issue |
