Harry Potter III: Percy is back

Harry Potter has touched the lives of children and adults all over the world, but few have been more involved than Norfolk actor Chris Rankin.

As the countdown continues to the release of the latest Potter instalment, The Order Of The Phoenix, Chris is busy learning his lines as filming continues on The Prisoner Of Azkaban.

"It is odd," he said, "but it's nice when people come up and say ‘are you Percy Weasley', especially little kids who just sort of look at me with this woooah look on their face."

With a new director on board, Chris has been telling BBCi's Martin Barber, the third film promises to hold a few surprises for those who've fallen in love with the previous Potter movies:

This film is going to be really different to the others, mostly due to the new director Alfonso Cuarón from Mexico.

His style is completely different to Chris Columbus', he's going for a real dramatic, tension building to a climax kind of film which I think is going to be perfect for Potter three.

I think the way Alfonso is doing it, the way he's shooting it, the style of camera work we're using – just everything is reflecting a slow and dramatic build up to an amazing end.

I shouldn't talk about it really, but it's all going to do with the camera shots and lengths of takes. When we did dialogue with Chris we'd never do more than three or four lines at a time before we changed a camera angle, stopped for a break, change a light over or something like that.

With Alfonso, the scene we did the other day we did as one long take.

It was all done on one camera and that scene was four minutes long without a change in angle or anything like that. I think that's how it adds to the tension. It might change in editing to how it is now, but it certainly seems the ways he's doing it is much more ominous.

From what you're saying it sounds as if the third film is going to be more grown-up?

Yeah, a lot more. Being 19 I can't really judge how a 12-year-old may view the film, but it does seem... certainly the first film was a typical children's film, there wasn't anything too scary in it.

In the second one it was as if the group of children who'd been to see the first one were now a year older and could take a bit more, but in this film they'll seem as if they're four years older.

If kids have read the book they'll know what's coming anyway so it won't be too much of a surprise and they'll know where the scary bits will be and what's probably about to happen.

Obviously when working on a film you have to edit bits down to get everything in, but I don't think it'll make too much difference. I've a feeling it might be a 12A certificate, but that won't stop kids coming to see it.

Apart from new ways of making the film, are the locations and people involved the same?

Basically, but I don't think we're doing any of the location stuff as such this year. I'm not entirely sure why as it's a shame because it was like going on a free holiday [laughs].

It must be weird not jumping on the train and going up to Gloucester and Scotland?

Yeah, it's a shame as I've made lots of friends up there having been there for a few weeks for the last couple of years.

I know the people there and I've made friends out of it, but it's easier to get to the studios in Watford where it's all shot.

It was back in March when you first met up for the first block of filming on Prisoner of Azkaban, how was that?

It was a scene in The Leaky Cauldron so it involved all the Weasley's, Harry, Ron, Hermione and lots of animals. The main few were there, but obviously none of the teachers.

I've noticed a real difference on this film with the new director.

Obviously it's still the same set of people and everybody is equally as nice, but you feel there's going to be a very different atmosphere in the film, I think it's going to be much darker.

You must be delighted.

Yes, I am. It's a good firm job to have - it keeps me busy for seven months of the year basically.

I suppose in a while it's going to get a bit repetitive and probably after four, if there's going to be five, six and seven, I might have to consider not doing them as I want to have a life really.

As fans across the world eagerly await news of the latest Potter film The Prisoner of Azkaban, at least it's been possible to once again enjoy Harry's adventures at Hogwarts in The Chamber Of Secrets.

Chris Rankin told BBCi's Martin Barber, the launch of the DVD and video saw something of a party at the Leavesden Studios in Watford - the studio where all the Harry Potter films to date have been made:

They held the party in the studio's this year which I thought was a brave move letting the world's media into the top secret studio location that we have.

Basically they stuck a big marquee at the end of what is now Privett Drive and filled it full of bits of set, animatronic spiders and the like and let us play for a few hours.

We all turned up and they started the evening with the media calls.

They flew Harry, Ron and Hermione onto the stage in the flying car, then they brought out the cast in principal order. The we all moved on and did the media line-ups and then we were let loose to party.

Who did you hob-knob with?

Lizo was there from Newsround and he's actually on the DVD doing an interview with JK Rowling. Ulrika Johnson was there too. I don't think I was particularly polite to her, but I was a bit drunk by then.

Dame Judi Dench and Chris enjoy a gossip Judi Dench was my favourite. She came with a couple of her grandchildren and was absolutely adorable about it all, I spent about 10 minutes chatting to here.

You said it takes around seven months to make the movie, that's a lot of time to be spending with a lot of people – do tempers get frayed?

Yeah, they can get a bit fraught towards the end of a two week shoot on one scene. When we're doing the same two minutes over and over again you just want to scream by the end of it.

We are very patient with each other and Chris the director, who's sadly not doing film number three, he's been incredibly patient with everybody. He never has a bad word for anyone, he' was always really nice.

I think everyone did get on very, very well adults and kids alike. It was a very happy, friendly set to be on.

Turning back to The Prisoner Of Azkaban, there's been plenty of upset fans that Shaun Biggerstaff won't be in the new movie.

Yeah, it's very sad. I found out slightly before everybody else in the world did so I was slightly prepared when people rang me shouting ‘he's been cut, he's been cut'.

It's shame because Sean played the Quidditch Captain very, very well. He's a lovely guy and it'll be odd not having him around.

In the book, Oliver Wood doesn't do anything particular. He's there and he has some very funny bits, but they don't relate in any direct way to the story line.

If we start going off in tangents in the film to what should be happening, everybody who hasn't read the books won't have a clue to what's going on. It's just a shame it's Oliver Woods' part that doesn't have anything to do with the script. ou know – they'll just do their job and we'LL sit there in awe – but I have learnt things from it.

I know you're enjoy a little bit of a break from filming at the moment, but when are you back at Hogwarts?

The next block of filming for me is in July when the principals get back from Scotland, but I'm not sure exactly what were doing. It's a Great Hall scene I think.

What's coming up in the immediate future for you?

I think it's time for Chris to have a holiday as he hasn't had one for three years. I'm just going to see my mates whilst they're back from uni over the summer and then I hope it's back to panto again at Christmas. I'm also doing a bit of house hunting in London.

Finally, spill the gossip from the set.

To be honest, there's not much gossip going around, it's all a bit quiet sadly.

I think the most embarrassing moment so far was on Emma Watson's birthday.

There was an apparent power cut in the middle of a huge piece of her dialogue during a Great Hall scene. We all thought what's going on and then 700 people burst into singing Happy Birthday.

It was all very nice but I think she got embarrassed by it all.

interview courtesy: BBC Norfolk