Director thinks actors could stay

The Harry Potter Movies Forum

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Despite speculation that the young stars of the Harry Potter films will outgrow their roles, the director of the latest installment believes they can see the popular series through to the end.

"It would be amazing to have the whole series with the same kids," Alfonso Cuaron, whose "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" opens worldwide June 4, said on Tuesday. The movie is from Warner Bros., a division of Time Warner, as is CNN.

"It would be priceless. It would be something very special, for the ages."

"Azkaban" is the third of a planned seven films based on J.K. Rowling's best-selling book series about the magical students of Hogwarts Academy.

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) and cinematic sidekicks Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron) have so far maintained their enthusiasm for the work, but many wonder whether they will physically outgrow the characters.

The trio, who sign for one film at a time, have already begun work on the fourth movie, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," directed by Mike Newell ("Mona Lisa Smile" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral").

The fifth book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," was published last year.

In the next movie, the young wizards are supposed to be 14 years old, which matches Watson's age. Radcliffe will turn 15 this summer and Grint will turn 16.

Cuaron said it would be a landmark achievement for the trio that created the roles to make it through to the end.

"Right now they're doing No. 4. There's only three more to go. I just hope they keep the same cast for the whole thing," said Cuaron, adding he would love to direct them again.

"So far, they're holding up very good, the way that they are aging. I don't think Dan is going to get way much taller or suddenly grow another eye. Same with Emma, and Rupert is OK.

"Let's hope. In the last one they're supposed to be 17. Say they're 19, I think they're going to be very good," he said. "That would be very special."

The acclaimed Mexican director of Oscar-nominated movies "Y Tu Mama Tambien" (2001) and "A Little Princess" (1995), said he was so exhausted from directing the Potter film that he could not follow on for the next one.

"I need a long siesta." sighed Cuaron. "It's two years of your life, working pretty much seven days a week from 7:30 in the morning to midnight. It's a long journey."

Yet Cuaron, 42, said he would love to return and steer the trio through their paces again.

"I would love to come back," he said. "My dream is that the cast would remain intact."

He's absolutely right, everyone freaking out about them getting too old is just considering that "oooh, they don't look 11 anymore - how could they play the parts?" It's just ridiculous.

Mike Newell, can't wait to see what he does with the GOF movie I like his direction, but I don't know if he can do the children/fantasy/(horror?) genre... it'll have to have a good mix of everything - gonna be some chore!

The movies need the kids to be the actors in them. They are Harry, Hermione and Ron. It is not like they are going to keep growing forever.

Older actors play younger roles all the time. And I can kind of accept the little differences. For example, the changes from the end of the first movie and the beginning of the second movie were obvious. In 2 months, Harry and Ron's voices both changed, they both grew about 4 inches and lost the little boy look in their faces. I accepted it and moved on. I think most fans will.

I would really like them to stay. But also well if they did they would have to work pretty fast to make the movies, which would mean A LOT of time on their hands.. and we all know stress makes you look older. They took a long time in between the second movie and the third, and i think thats why it was such a huge shock that they looked older. If they can keep the movies rolling (no pun intended) (although its not a bad pun if i do say so myself) and get through them before the actors hit like 20 i think they can do it. But then theres also this, will dan and rupert and emma want to stay that long? I mean sure it will bring in tons of money and fame for them, but doing that many movies they will always be known as harry ron and hermione for like ever. But i too hope that they will stay, and these days they could make them look younger with technology if they really had to. I also think that they style of the third book made them look older. Let's face it EVERYTHING looked older in the movie, even the train went from the brand new shining red engine to well grimy in this movie

They need to keep doing the movies pretty much each year to year-and-a-half, between films. I don't want to see Harry at 19 or 20 portraying a 17 year old (if possible). But, I don't want to see other actors in their places.

I wonder if keeping those kids as the characters has "spurred" JKR to get the next two books out.

oh also id like to point out how dissapointed fans were when they found out richard harris wasnt coming back. I mean imagine how awful it would be if the kids all got recasted.

I think that there would be a lot of outrage from fans... esp kids. They are used to those actors. I hope that they keep them and don't disappoint us all.