Potterheads are enchanted by the fan-made film by the name of “Voldemort: Origins of the Heir,” which was published on YouTube on January 13th and has received a lot of positive attention.
The film is a 59 minute theory of what caused the Harry Potter villain Tom Marvolo Riddle to become the infamous Lord Voldemort. It branches off of the main series using the information already provided about the fiend and uses it to make a realistic story about his progression to the snake being he is so well known for. It got a lot of attention online from Potterheads, fans of JK Rowling’s work concerning Harry Potter. The fans are thrilled that they can finally see some of their questions answered, whether or not it is confirmed to be true by Warner Brothers Studios.
“I think it’s pretty cool that there’s a whole movie about Voldemort’s past,” said Aryah Seed, a sophomore Harry Potter enthusiast. “because I think Tom’s character and personality as a child was pretty similar to Harry, only one was instantly seen as a hero while the other was sorted into the ‘evil’ house, and didn’t really have a home to go back to on the holidays.”
However, there is the concern that there will be problems in the plot because the film isn’t linked to the creator of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling.
“I think it’s good that JK Rowling isn’t linked to it because it allows for a new perspective and conveyance of the Wizarding World and a fan’s take on Voldemort and what he is like.” said Colby Peck, a sophomore Harry Potter enthusiast.
One example of a variation from the main Harry Potter series that had plot holes is “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, a broadway show that has toured in London and is coming New York in the spring. Many Potterheads are nervous that “Voldemort: Origins of the Heir” will experience the same problems if not worse. Others, on the other hand, don’t believe the series will pose the same issue.
“I don’t think it will have the same plot holes as ‘the Cursed Child’,” said Seed. “To me it always felt like the play was a bit of a cash grab for the franchise, the writing was rushed, the plot was confusing, ‘twists’ were just random and unneeded, but an independent film will likely be more of a true passion project.There may be issues in the creative differences in imagining toms character, but I think In all, it will stick fairly truly to the current plot.”
As for the film itself, the plot itself has been praised for being accurate and the graphics have captured the attention of fans and non-fans alike, however, there are some errors in the filming that stood out in the minds of many viewers.
“It has some great camera angles and it looks very good,” said Isabel Deo, a sophomore Potter fan. “The plot is pretty good. It really captures the mysterious and manipulative of Tom. The acting is very well done and the choice of actors was chosen very well. There are some aspects of the film that I myself don’t like. They have a habit of not having what the character is saying match up with the lines the listener is hearing and zooming in on people’s eyes while they are talking for not reason whatsoever.”
Whether or not the film is Oscar worthy or not, the film as received a lot of attention from the loyal fans of the Harry Potter universe, despite the flaws that have been pointed out.
“Well the fact that Warner Bros basically (indirectly) states that this fan movie is canon in their universe I think that’s awesome!” Said Peck. “I’ve always wanted to have a Voldemort origin story whether it be a movie or book so I’m glad there’s finally a backstory for him now!! We know that Tom Riddle was conceived and born from a love potion so he can’t feel love or any sense of empathy. But we don’t know a lot about his time in Hogwarts and his youth. What made him come to want such power? Why was he so obsessed with blood ‘purity’? What made him ashamed of his father? This movie is going to provide answers that many fans have harbored for years.”
