15 Times The “Harry Potter” Movies Cast A Bad Spell On The Characters: From Pages To Screen

Accio, Potterheads! As much as we all love the Harry Potter movie franchise, let's be real: it's not perfect. Especially when it comes to character portrayals. Yes, we can forgive some of the minor differences between the books and movies, but there are some offenses that are downright unforgivable.
From Ron Weasley's lack of character development to Dumbledore's questionable decisions, the movies have made some unforgivable changes to its original books. And don't even get me started on the blatant change of Hermione's hair, and Harry’s eye color (hello, does he really have his mother’s eyes?!).
But fear not, my fellow Potterheads, we know you still love the movie and wait for your letter nonetheless. We'll be picky, but with a healthy dose of humor and a love for the series that will never die. So, whether you're a die-hard book purist or a casual movie-goer, grab a butterbeer and get ready to have some fun!

#1 The Marauders

Source: Warner Bros.

In the movie adaptation of "Prisoner of Azkaban," the Marauder's Map is introduced as a cool accessory that pairs well with Harry's Invisibility Cloak. However, the map also serves to provide backstory on Harry's father and his three best friends: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.
Unfortunately, the origins of the map were never filmed, which could have streamlined many elements in the series.

#2 The Infamous 'You Have Your Mother's Eyes'

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Harry's eyes were a crucial physical feature in the story, especially when it came to his nemesis, Severus Snape. Throughout the series, many characters, including Snape, mentioned that Harry had his mother's eyes. Are we delusional or anything, but Harry’s eyes are blue and Lily’s are brown? This created a discrepancy between the book and film adaptations.
We all now know that Daniel Radcliffe had issues with contacts in the first film. But it would have made much more sense to cast an actress with similar eyes to play Harry's mother. Right?

#3 Dudley's Deleted Redemption

Source: Warner Bros.

In The Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling tries to redeem Dudley Dursley by giving him a moment of genuine concern for Harry's safety. This attempt at giving Dudley some humanity is a bit out of the blue, but it's still heartfelt.
Unfortunately, the movie demotes this scene to a deleted scene, which is just as awkward on screen as it was in the book. So, whether this change is negative or not is debatable.

#4 Barty Crouch Is Actually Two People

Source: Warner Bros.

In the Goblet of Fire movie, screenwriter Steve Kloves consolidates characters by getting rid of Ludo Bagman and merging him with Barty Crouch. This change wasn't a big deal for the audience since neither character was a fan favorite. I guess sometimes, change is okay, even when diehard Potterheads criticize it.

#5 Ginny's Personality

Source: Warner Bros.

In the movies, Harry and Ginny's relationship doesn't make much sense. They don't seem to have much in common and don't spend enough time together.
Book-Ginny, on the other hand, is more rebellious like Harry and has a colorful personality. If the screenwriter had given her a bigger role earlier on, their relationship wouldn't feel so forced.

#6 Angry Dumbledore

Source: Warner Bros.

The portrayal of Albus Dumbledore on-screen differs from how he's described in the books. Richard Harris played the role perfectly with a soft-spoken and charming demeanor. However, Michael Gambon, who took over the role, may have gone a bit too far.
In The Goblet of Fire movie, when Dumbledore asks Harry about the goblet, he seems like he might rip Harry's head off. While Gambon may have been experimenting with his acting, it's incomprehensible to readers who know Dumbledore as a gentle character.

#7 Hermione's Hair

Source: Warner Bros.

Hermione's hair in the books is famously bushy and has a mind of its own. It defies gravity and does its own thing. However, in the movies, her hairstyle changes quite a bit. While the filmmakers attempted to capture her wild hair in The Sorcerer's Stone, they didn't follow through.
As the series progressed, her hair became more toned down and relaxed. It wasn't until The Half-Blood Prince, when Hermione was under stress, that her hair finally resembled the book version. Compared to other changes made in the movies though, Hermione's hair is a minor alteration.

#8 Filch Is Not ‘Just A Jerk'

Source: Warner Bros.

Argus Filch is widely disliked by students at Hogwarts. He's the hall monitor, the schoolyard bully, and a notorious curmudgeon. Despite his behavior, however, the books provide some sympathy for Filch. It's revealed that he's a Squib, which means he comes from a magical family but cannot perform magic himself.
This is a significant disappointment for him and helps readers understand why he acts the way he does. In the movies, however, Filch is just a one-dimensional jerk, lacking the complexity of his book character.

#9 Chamber Of Secrets

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In The Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts is in chaos, with mysterious whispers and threatening messages on the walls. Harry, Ron, and Hermione try to uncover the truth and learn about the possible existence of the Chamber of Secrets from Professor Binns.
However, in the movies, Binns is left out, and Professor McGonagall takes over, which isn't a big deal because everyone loves Maggie Smith anyway.

#10 Mrs. Norris: A Missed Opportunity

Source: Warner Bros.

Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, is despised by the characters and readers alike in the books. She's always prowling around, helping Filch catch students breaking the rules.
However, in the movies, she's not as significant a character, and there isn't much continuity with her appearance. She doesn't even act as a scout for Filch, making her a forgettable addition to the film series.

#11 Rita Skeeter Is A Beetle

Source: Warner Bros.

How does Rita Skeeter always manage to get her hands on secret information? Her articles often contain details that were never meant to be publicized. The answer lies in her ability to transform into a beetle as an unregistered Animagus. This allows her to eavesdrop on people and gather juicy stories for her articles.
Unfortunately, this aspect of her character is not explored in the movies, where she is simply portrayed as a ruthless reporter.

#12 Self-Choke

Source: Warner Bros.

To bring back Peter Pettigrew, he must make a gruesome sacrifice - his own hand. He chants about willingly sacrificing the "flesh of the servant," and then cuts off his own hand and drops it into the cauldron. Voldemort rewards Pettigrew's loyalty by gifting him with a silver hand, but in The Deathly Hallows, this comes back to haunt him.
When Harry reminds Pettigrew that he once spared his life, he hesitates, causing his enchanted hand to mistake him for a traitor and strangle him. In the movies, however, Pettigrew simply gets knocked out. The end.

#13 Slughorn's Size

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Jim Broadbent's performance as Horace Slughorn was definitely one of the more memorable ones in the Harry Potter series. However, some fans argue that he may have been miscast due to his appearance.
In The Half-Blood Prince, Slughorn is described as being short, fat, old, bald, and having a mustache like a walrus. Unfortunately, in the movies, Broadbent doesn't match any of these physical descriptions.

#14 Rupert Grint Didn't Look Like Ron

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Rupert Grint did an excellent job playing Ron Weasley, but there were some noticeable physical differences between him and the character described in the books. One of the most significant differences is that Ron is supposed to have a lot of freckles, which Grint doesn't seem to have.
Additionally, Ron is supposed to be much taller than both Harry and Hermione, but in real life, Grint is not much taller than them. Of course, these are just minor details, but some fans couldn't help but notice them.

#15 Voldemort's Missing Red Eyes

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While Ralph Fiennes' portrayal of Voldemort was undeniably impressive, there's one crucial aspect of the character that was noticeably absent from the films: his red eyes. In the books, Voldemort's eyes are described as being bright red, which adds to his menacing and otherworldly presence.
However, in the movies, his eyes are either stark white or pale blue, leaving readers wondering why the filmmakers decided to change such a defining characteristic. It's not just Voldemort either; the movies also changed the eye colors of other major characters like Harry and Mrs. Norris.
Voldemort is still terrifying AF, but it would have been nice to see all the details from the books fully translated to the screen.