Harry Potter is perhaps one of the largest and most beloved franchises in cinema history. While a reboot doesn't seem likely anytime soon, the franchise is still well-loved. There's something about the overall story of wildly magical adventures starring complex, yet relatable, characters that continually draws audiences in, both old and new. In fact, alongside the books and movies, the Harry Potter franchise includes games, toys, stationery, textiles, and even fashion.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone initially kicked off the entire franchise back in 2001. The series would last for a decade before ending with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. What made the magical series so special were the hidden plot gems that kept every on the edge of their seats. Even now, new facts about the franchise are being unearthed. Here's a list of little-known facts about the wizarding world that many around the world have fallen in love with.
Daniel Radcliffe Almost Wasn't Cast as Harry Potter
Starting off with our hero, Harry Potter himself, it's hard to picture anybody but Daniel Radcliffe playing the part of the young wizard but fans will be surprised to know that the role was almost given to someone else. Originally, Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg was set to direct Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. He developed the project with Steve Kloves for about six months before dropping it altogether. During this time though Spielberg wanted the young The Sixth Sense actor Haley Joel Osmet to play the part of Harry.
Tom Felton Could Have Played a Different Harry Potter Character
Another surprising fact about actors who almost played the role of Harry Potter involves Tom Felton. We all know Tom Felton for his portrayal of the infamous fan favorite, Draco Malfoy but in a 2011 interview with MTV News, Felton said that he actually auditioned for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley before he auditioned for Draco Malfoy.
Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling Share a Birthday
J.K. Rowling the incredibly gifted author of the Harry Potter novels decided to implement a little bit of herself into the character of Harry Potter. Rowling shared on Pottermore that while writing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone she wanted to be connected to the character in some way so she decided to have Harry and herself share the same birthday, July 31st.
Dumbledore is Gay
Professor Dumbledore is regarded as one of the wisest and greatest wizards to exist. He is always treated with respect and is held to an extremely high standard. Although it is never mentioned in the novels or films J.K. Rowling shared that Albus Dumbledore is actually gay. She says that she always thought of him as being gay.
There's a Real-Life Dolores Umbridge
Despite her constant smile and all pink outfits, Dolores Umbridge is arguably one of the creepiest characters in the world of Harry Potter. We all remember that unsettling scene from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Professor Umbridge makes Harry engrave on his arm "I must not tell lies", but what most people don't know is that J.K. Rowling based this character off of an old neighbor she used to have. It almost becomes more uncomfortable watching scenes of Umbridge after knowing this.
The Truth Behind The Dementors
Another unsettling and creepy character in Harry Potter is the dementors. The sad truth about them is that J.K. Rowling actually based the dementors off of her own battles with depression. After the death of Rowling's mother, the author struggled with depression and used her own demons and life experience to create an interesting entity to add to her novels and share with the world.
Arthur Weasley Was Supposed To Die
There is no shortage of tragic deaths in Harry Potter but one more was almost added to the list. For a long time, J.K. Rowling contemplated killing off Arthur Weasley, the pure-blood wizard who works at the Ministry of Magic and is the father to Bill, Ron, Percy, Ginny, Fred, and George Weasley. Ultimately Rowling decided not to kill off Arthur because she thought there weren't enough good father figures in the story.
Moaning Myrtle Was Inspired By a Real Person
Moaning Myrtle, the constant crying and weeping dead muggle-born wizard, played by actress Shirley Henderson, is also based on a real person J.K. Rowling knew. The author shared that during her youth when she would be out at parties she would almost always see a girl moaning and crying in a restroom. This event left quite an impression on the author because she decided to create a character in her books that was stuck in a bathroom for all of eternity, crying because she was so upset.
The Importance of Harry's Eye Color
When Daniel Radcliffe was cast as Harry Potter the only big problem producers faced was his eye color. J.K. Rowling was very insistent on the fact that Harry have green eyes. For a period of time, it was debated whether or not to make Daniel wear green contacts since his eyes were naturally blue or to change them in post-production. Finally, Rowling caved and said that his natural blue eyes were fine as long as they matched Lily Potter's eyes later on when her part was cast. It was a very important detail in the story to her that Harry and his mother have the same eyes.
Alan Rickman Knew Snape Loved Lily Potter All Along
The final little-known fact about The Harry Potter films is that Alan Rickman knew from the start that his character was in love with Lily Potter. The late Alan Rickman played Professor Snape, one of the most beloved characters in the series. Even though people may not have taken a liking to him at first due to his coldness towards Harry, fans grow to love him by the end once it is revealed that Snape actually cares deeply for Harry and was in love with his mother. Although the viewers were unaware of his love for Lily, J.K. Rowling hinted this information to Rickman early on during filming because she felt it was an important detail for him to know in order to play Professor Snape.