Will It Take Magic to Shake Potter's Image?
With the release of *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, the main cast—Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint—are finally free to explore roles beyond the beloved fantasy franchise. While their recognizable faces could pose challenges in landing diverse roles, their dedication to shedding their Potter personas shows promise, especially for Emma Watson, who seems poised for a versatile career. Hollywood studios will be watching closely as the trio navigates this next phase of their acting journeys.
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The release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last week has been a much-anticipated spectacle of expectation and box office revenue. Now that the Warner Brothers' fantasy fiction dynasty is coming to a close, many are asking what now? With the eighth installment of the Harry Potter series already in the can, the films’ core cast of Danielle Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Stone (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) are finally free to pursue their acting careers in roles outside of those created by author J.K. Rowling.
The freedom from contractual obligation presents a world of both opportunities and potential problems for these three actors. No doubt they will be bombarded with scripts from studios clambering to catch any of the three now that Warner Brothers no longer has tabs on their careers. Before they make any successful career moves, however, Radcliffe, Stone, and Grint must all shake their present images as Potter, Granger, and Weasley.
The influence of a recognizable face can contribute disastrous effects to any film seeking to accomplish any sort of artful purpose. Recently we saw this occur in the movie The Social Network where Justin Timberlake’s overly recognizable face took over scenes and detracted from his character. Frustratingly enough, Justin Timberlake was actually very good in the role, but his poster boy face distracted the audience from many well-composed scenes. Studios will no doubt consider the same effect when investing in actors like Radcliffe, Stone and Grint. Their identifiable names will no doubt sell tickets, but if Hollywood cannot see them as any more than “the Harry Potter kids,” any of their three careers could face potential doom.
But the Harry Potter trio is ‘eager’ to shake their images as reported in a recent CNN interview with the cast. Emma stone seems to be the most anxious with a noticeably new haircut to revitalize her image right from the start. Of the three, she seems to present the most promise as a versatile actress who will be marketable for years to come. Radcliffe and Grint, however, will have to distinguish themselves from each other..
It will be interesting to note how the three develop their professional demeanors now that their work is no longer cut out for them. None of these actors have done anything to muddy up their reputations yet, which means they still bring with them a great deal of promise. And for a few eager Hollywood studios, that promise could mean huge dollars for future films.