Dateline NBC

Transcript

Transcribed by Elena for DanRadcliffe.com.

For a few hours earlier today, New York City was transformed into Hogwarts On The Hudson as fans of the Harry Potter books gathered outside the Radio City Music Hall for the world premiere of the third film in the series “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”.  Darker than the first two films, it’s a tale of ghouls and mysterious professors and an escaped convict with a secret past.  Mere Muggles will have to wait a few days before they can see the film, but tonight Al Roker has a preview and an exclusive behind the scenes look at some of the magic.

Clip of the Knight Bus scene

Hold on to your broomsticks because everyone’s favourite boy wizard is back. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban hits theaters June 4th and this time the film takes an older Harry on a wilder, darker and scarier ride.

Dumbledore: Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts.

In the screen adaptation of the third book from supernaturally popular author JK Rowling, Harry Potter is headed back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his third year of sorcerer’s studies.

Harry: Lumos maxima!

Like any students, there are new teachers to meet.

Trelawney: You must look beyond!

New spells to learn…. And lots and lots of homework!

Snape: Turn to page 394.

Actor Daniel Radcliffe returns to the new Potter film as Hogwarts’ most famous wizard in training.

What was it like when it was the time to put the glasses back on and get the thunderbolt scar on there again?

Daniel Radcliffe: I actually was really happy to get back there and start doing it all over again, it was brilliant. Like a kind of... it was almost like a reunion.

Ron: Harry!
Hermione: Harry!

Harry Potter also reunites with his friends Ron and Hermione at the start of the movie.

Hermione: Why are we stopping?
Ron: What’s going on? 

But on the Hogwarts Express the trio is threatened by ominous, other-worldly creatures.

Ron: There’s something moving out there!
Lupin: It was a dementor.

Dementors. Soul sucking demons that guard the wizard prison of Azkaban. They’re on the hunt for a notorious escaped murder convict named Sirius Black.

Mr. Weasley: Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison
Stan Shunpike: He’s a murderer.

Even more terrifying, Sirius Black is believed to have killed Harry’s parents and, word is, Harry's next.  Hogwarts becomes cloaked in fear as the Dementors hunt down Sirius Black.

Sirius: Only one will die tonight.

And Sirius Black hunts for Harry Potter.  Gary Oldman, that master of the cinematic serious villain, joins the cast as Sirius Black.

In the book you’re not quite sure whether Sirius Black is a bad guy or a good guy.

Gary Oldman: Yeah.

And, given your past, people probably automatically assume “Oh, must be a bad guy!”

Gary Oldman: Yeah, you know, they say to me: “I hear you’re in the Harry Potter movie. Are you a bad guy? And I... I'm always playing these bad guys? I'm not a bad guy.

You’re a pretty good guy.

GO: I’m a pretty good guy. Yeah.

Gary Oldman isn’t the only freshman on the Potter campus.

Dumbledore: I didn't really expect him to linger.

Veteran stage actor Michael Gambon also joined the cast. He replaces the late Richard Harris as Hogwarts’ headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

Dumblebore: Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times.

Michael Gambon: They woke me up and said "Richard's died" and I said "Yeah I know" and they said "Will you play his part?" and I said “Yeah, please, let me play!”

Alfonso Cuaron: action!

But the biggest change in the magical film franchise happens behind the cameras. The Prisoner of Azkaban has a new and distinctively artistic director: Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron. Cuaron is best known for his racy 2002 hit “Y tu mama tambien”, which was hardly a family film.  So no one was more surprised than Cuaron when he got the call to direct the third Potter film. What’s more, Cuaron may have been the only Muggle (that’s wizard-speak for we mere mortals) who had never heard of Hogwarts.

AC: I was a little bit ignorant about the Harry Potter universe.

So you had never read the books?

AC: No.

Hadn’t seen the movies….

AC: Not really.

No.

AC: no [laughs]

Okay [laughs]

But Cuaron got up to speed as fast as a flying Hippogriff and the world of Harry Potter will never be the same.

The Prisoner of Azkaban, maybe a little edgier?

AC: Probably a little edgier, probably darker.

Spookier lighting, weirder magic.

Moodier music… Cuaron's quirky creation is meant to scare and delight.

Harry: Why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me?

The world of Harry Potter is darker now for a reason. In this third film, Harry not only battles evil demons, but something worse: puberty.

DR: He's basically become a teenager and, with that, that means there are things like the teenage angst, he’s very confused, he starts to question himself a lot more.

Is there a parallel between Harry and Daniel since you’re both going through…kind of the same things at the same time?

DR: The same things at the same time. Yeah. I know there’s definitely a bond between me and him.

The young heroes of the Prisoner of Azkaban also now look like teenagers. No more cutesy, itchy sweaters and fusty robes. In this movie, Cuaron’s kids wore jeans and sweatshirts and Harry has finally grown into those trademark big round glasses. Actress Emma Watson.

Is it weird kind of seeing your co-stars now having to shave?

Emma Watson: [laughs] Yeah, I suppose is… We've all changed so much since the beginning. I’ve got some pictures of me when I first got the role and… of all of three of us and… we’re just so… so different now. It’s amazing.

In the first Potter movie, the kids were just 10 and 11 years old. But now, the young actors are budding adolescents, just like the characters they play.

Is there a noticeable difference with how everybody's interacting?

DR: Well, we're obviously talking about different things now…

What, what's different?

DR: Oh... (grins and makes blustering noises!)

The Prisoner of Azkaban shows us that becoming a teen is no easier for young wizards and witches than it is for us Muggles.

Malfoy: Filthy little mudblood
Hermione: Foul, loathesome, evil little cockroach!  (Punches Draco)  That felt good.

Do you think that Hermione is a good role model?

EW: Yeah, she’s a good girl-power girl. Definitely.

You go girl.

EW: Yeah.

Is that a welcome change for you now? You’re kind of a woman of action?

EW: Yes! Yes, definitely! I’m really enjoying it and there’s lots of really cool stunts to do.

We got an exclusive behind the scenes look at one of those stunts, when Harry and Hermione tackle a bad tempered tree.

I got to watch you filming probably the Whomping Willow scene. That looks a pretty physical bit of business.

DR: We actually don't normally get to do stuff like that, but so it’s really fun to actually do.

I guess it was one of the first times you flew on a wire. What was that like?

EW: Yeah. Oh, I was so nervous, obviously. It was the first time I had ever worn one of those harnesses.  Oof, wedgie of a lifetime!

Dan and Emma are first knocked down by the angry tree, then they dodged its limbs, which will later be added to the scene via computer graphics.

Does it take a certain amount of trust because somebody else, basically, has your life in their hands.

DR: I won’t think of that next time I’m doing it, but…. um…

With the special effects added, Cuaron conjures up his own special kind of movie magic.

Harry: Move!
Hermione: Duck!

Harry: I hope he finds me, because when he does, I’m gonna be ready!

Whether Harry Potter battles supernatural monsters or his inner demons, at its heart, the Prisoner of Azkaban is about growing up and about facing your darkest fears.

Harry: Expecto Patronum!