Goblet of Fire Could Have Been Split Into 2 Movies (And Be Better For it)

It has been over a decade since the eighth and final instalment of the Harry Potter movie series was released. To this day, it remains one of the most successful and memorable franchises in history.

The series amassed an astounding $8 billion in box office revenue from its eight instalments and made its lead actors, who were still children when the first film came out, into very wealthy people.

Throughout its ten-year run, the franchise created a world of magic familiar to every 2000s kid. It began as an exciting journey filled with danger and hope. However, as the series progressed, it became increasingly darker. It was perhaps Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that set the new grimmer tone for the series. Yet, that film could have been entirely different.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Columbus, the director and executive producer of the first two Harry Potter films, revealed that he had suggested splitting Goblet of Fire into two parts.

Although Columbus did not direct that particular instalment, he played a crucial role in its production. In fact, he and Steve Kloves, the series' writer, were the first to read J. K. Rowling's book of the same name before it was even published. According to Columbus, the manuscript was incredibly thick.

As many know, the book had 734 pages when it was released, making it the longest in the series then. Naturally, Chris Columbus believed it made sense to break the story up into two screen adaptations. However, it was not to be.

'At the time, the studio wasn’t interested in doing it. It didn’t seem like that was a possibility. Well, obviously they ended up doing it for [parts] seven and eight,' the director shared.

Brimming with action and numerous new characters, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire would probably have been better in two parts. There are several reasons for that. The characters would have been better presented and developed, the plot would not have been as intensely packed, and the shift towards the darker tone would not have seemed so abrupt.

While the instalment concludes with the death of one of its main characters, his story is not fully explored. As a result, Cedric Diggory is largely forgotten by the end of the series. This unfortunate outcome could have been avoided if he had been given more screen time in a two-part Goblet of Fire.

Well, whatever the case may be, fans all over the world still love the Harry Potter franchise despite its shortcomings.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter.