Harry Potter Fans Still Can't Get Over This Major Casting Fail

The Harry Potter films are amazing. And one of the main reasons they were so good is the casting. From the very first movie, it was clear that the casting directors had studied the books and chosen the actors to perfectly fit the roles. Not only did they make sure that the cast were excellent actors, but they all had the right look and feel for these wonderful characters.

Then came the fourth installment, Goblet of Fire, and for the first time, we saw a deviation from the books for one of the major characters. Artistic license is one thing, and fans usually expect it these days. But in the case of this casting choice, the fans were not happy. And they are still not over it.

Wrong choice

Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian quidditch champion and a competitor against Harry and the others in the Triwizard tournament, is unrecognizable in the films compared to the books. Played by the strongly built Stanislav Yanevski, Krum was nothing like fans were expecting.

The books had described Krum as an overgrown bird of prey, leading most to imagine him as tall and slender. Yanevski's appearance surprised fans, but that wasn't the worst part.

From the books, we know that Ron is a big Quidditch fan and has a bit of a crush on Krum, the best player in the world. 'There's no one like Krum! He's like a bird, the way he rides the wind! He's more than an athlete! He's an artist!' he says at one point in the book, and then becomes increasingly jealous of him and Hermione when the two start dating during the tournament.

So Krum's role in the book is significant. He's brave on the pitch, but awkward and shy off it. That was what made him interesting. But Yanevski didn't quite capture that.

Some fans have speculated that his more 'reserved' portrayal was intentional, to avoid distracting from other characters like Harry and Cedric. It seems overly callous to accuse Yanevski of poor acting skills, as he has since proven his mettle in other roles.

Other reasons

Another fan theory is that the writers deliberately made Krum less interesting for the movies due to time constraints. Books have the luxury of much deeper character exploration than films, especially when juggling so many complex characters. Perhaps there was simply not enough time to give Krum the attention he deserved, and so he was subdued instead.

Krum is perhaps the only casting decision that Harry Potter fans have expressed displeasure with, and still seems to be a sticking point for Potterheads everywhere.