Trivia: Film 4
Alfonso Cuarón was offered the chance to direct this installment in the series, but declined as he would still be working on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
Mike Newell decided against the studio’s original idea of adapting the 734 page book into two separate films to be released several months apart, figuring that he could cut enough of the book’s bulky subplots to make a workable film. It was Alfonso Cuarón, the director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) who convinced him.
Over 3,000 girls turned up at the auditions for the role of Cho Chang, in London on 7 February 2004.
The Dursleys were cut from the film due to time constraints, as was Molly Weasly.
Mike Newell is the first British director the film series has had.
According to rumors that circulated the Internet, both Rowan Atkinson and John Malkovich were considered for the role of Lord Voldemort. Both rumors were proven to be untrue.
Rumors on the Internet of a Scottish actor being cast as Viktor Krum were halted when it was announced that, as originally planned by the producers, a Bulgarian would in fact play the part. Perhaps these rumors arose because the Bulgarian was discovered in England and not in Sofia, where there was a casting call for the part of the International Quidditch Champion. Stanislav Ianevski, a Bulgarian student living in London, has been cast in the role.
Mike Newell only received $1 million to direct (whereas Chris Columbus received $10 million plus a percentage of the gross to direct Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)).
During the underwater filming, Daniel Radcliffe, a couple of the cast members, and all of the underwater crew posed for a photo which he later sent out as a Christmas card with Rudolph noses and antlers Photoshopped on everyone’s faces.
All underwater filming involving the teen actors was only allowed 15 seconds per take below surface, reason being strict security rules. Those same scenes were mainly shot in a small tank on sound-stage with a blue-screen background.