Harry Potter fan fiction has just been stepped up to a new stratosphere thanks to the creators behind Voldemort: Origins of the Heir. The fantastic 50-minute short fan-made film is truly epic and something that all fans of Harry Potter should check out. Though the movie is not officially sanctioned by Warner Bros., the studio did let the creators make the movie as long as it's strictly not for profit, which should tell you something about the caliber of this fan-made affair. There's really nothing else out there to compare it to in terms of its depth and overall quality.

Voldemort: Origins of the Heir is a prequel to the Harry Potter series and tells the story of Hogwarts student and Slytherin house heir Tom Marvolo Riddle's transformation into the Dark Lord. The 52-minute movie was shot in Italy, with a budget of about $23,000 that was funded through Kickstarter by Gianmaria Pezzato and Stefano Prestia under their Tryangle Films banner. The production value looks on par with Hollywood standards and the acting is top notch as well, proving that this fan film will definitely stick around and possibly even earn Pezzato and Prestia a future in Hollywood.

Voldemort: Origins of the Heir starts off with an adult Tom Riddle before his transformation into Lord Voldemort, telling his story using Harry Potter official canon information, adding some fan-service and then branching out into its own story, complete with new characters and original story material all based in the realm of Potter. The story includes numerous flashbacks to Tom Riddle's Hogwarts years and mostly follows Grisha McLaggen, a Griffyndor heir searching for Riddle after the murder of Hepzibah Smith.

The movie was released for free on YouTube with an official okay from Warner Bros. and has already gained nearly 9 million views in less than a week. However, the movie is not without its criticism. This is the world of Harry Potter that we're talking about here, a fandom that may only be bested by Star Wars fans. As previously noted, the special effects and acting are top notch, but viewers have complained about issues of pacing and some of the dialogue. Some have said that it contradicts elements of the book while many are irritated by the fact that they have to watch a dubbed version since it was shot in Italian.

Small gripes aside, Gianmaria Pezzato and Stefano Prestia have created something pretty magical with Voldemort: Origins of the Heir. Fan fiction has been elevated and one can only imagine what this short fan-made film will inspire others to go out and do within the world of Harry Potter. While some have their complaints, more people seem to enjoy it and claim that it's already better than Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Head over to Tryangle Films' YouTube channel to check out all of the hard work that went into making Voldemort: Origins of the Heir a reality.