For many Harry Potter fans, the movie series peaked with The Prisoner of Azkaban.
The third in the series saw Alfonso Cuaron take over the directing reins from Chris Columbus who had helmed the previous two installments and bring a freshness and energy to the series that some have argued was never matched in the remaining entries.
Cuaron took part in a career retrospective Q&A at Cannes this past week and revealed that he so very nearly passed on the chance to make the movie. He initially wasn't interested in the job but it was his old compatriot Guillermo del Toro that convinced him otherwise.
"Del Toro asked, 'Have you read the books?'" Cuarón recalled. "And I said, 'I saw the film; it's not my thing.' And then he asked [again], 'Have you read the books?' And I said, 'No, I have not read the books.' And then he got so pissed off at me. ‘You fuckin' arrogant bastard! Go right now, buy the fuckin’ books and call me back!'
It seems del Toro was a big Harry Potter fan and one can't help but wonder how great it would have been if he'd been given a Harry Potter movie of his own.
Via No Film School
