Mick Ignis, Garrett Schweighauser, Paul Stanko, Kevin Allen, Zachary David and Dani Jae at the premiere of “Severus Snape and the Marauders.”
Since the beginning of the Harry Potter saga nearly 20 years ago, fans have always had something to celebrate. When J. K. Rowling’s novels were completed, there was the Warner Bros. film franchise, then the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” theme parks and the London Studio Tour, as well as Rowling’s expansive website Pottermore. This summer, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” a play starring Harry Potter’s son, will begin its run in London, and the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film will jump back to 1920s New York City to follow the adventures of magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne).
But fans have also long been producing Harry Potter projects of their own, from the written word of fanfiction to the sporting world of muggle quidditch to Hollywood itself—before he was warbling showtunes on “Glee,” Darren Criss wrote and starred in the viral hit “A Very Potter Musical” while at the University of Michigan. Rowling’s magical universe is filled with nooks and crannies of untold stories, and fans of all generations have taken to exploring the wizarding world for themselves.
One such fan is Justin Zagri, a Burbank-based, freelance film editor who wrote and directed the 25-minute Harry Potter prequel, “Severus Snape and the Marauders.” Taking his cue from 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg, whose “Portal: No Escape” garnered the attention of Hollywood’s elite, Zagri also set out to make a short film stemming from a beloved franchise: this time, Harry Potter. The result, 2013’s “The Greater Good,” has received over four million views on YouTube and left Harry Potter fans salivating for more. When Zagri polled the populace, the tale fans most wanted to be told next was that of the mischievous Marauders, who prowled the halls of Hogwarts a generation before Harry and his friends. Zagri decided to throw one of his favorite Harry Potter characters into the mix as well, and thus, the Kickstarter campaign for “Severus Snape and the Marauders” was born.
(Watch the final movie here!)
The production of the film involved an impressive list of creative minds who share a fondness for the world of Harry Potter. Many have already made a name for themselves in wider circles, such as makeup artists Keaghlan Ashley, George Troester and Laney Chontal, alumni of Syfy’s prosthetic makeup competition show “Face Off,” and matte painter Bryan Morton, who at the time was also involved with the poster for a little movie called Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Music composer Alexander Arntzen, who has worked with film score icons like Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman, contributed the soundtrack, recruiting a 65-piece orchestra for the final song. Others, like muggle quidditch creator Alex Benepe and wandmaker Brandon La Croix, are revered within the Harry Potter fan community. And dozens of fans volunteered as extras, showing up on set with their own wizarding regalia.
Each of the actors in “Severus Snape and the Marauders” has their own relationship to the story of The Boy Who Lived. Kevin Allen, who plays young Sirius Black, discovered the magic as an adult, when a friend took him to the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” park at Orlando’s Universal Studios. (Nowadays, he’s also running a Harry Potter summer camp and describes himself as “totally a Potterhead.”) Dani Jae (young Lily Evans) and producer Liana Minassian were also a bit late to the party, having rebelled against the masses as young girls, but have now seen the error of their ways. USC School of Dramatic Arts alum Paul Stanko (young Remus Lupin) and Garrett Schweighauser (young James Potter) latched onto the book series at an early age, even though—or because—their respective towns of Fort Collins, Colorado and Jamul, California served as sites of conservative religious backlash against the series. Zachary David (young Peter Pettigrew) and Mick Ignis were also in from Day One. Ignis used the Potter books as an escape from bullying, memories he tapped into while getting into character for young Severus Snape in the film.
The unbridled enthusiasm that they share is evident in the production of this (not for profit) film, from the actors all the way to the composer, Arntzen.
“Alex creates music, that’s his passion, and he found a way to turn his love of this this franchise and these characters and translate it through his craft,” Kevin Allen explained. “Justin [Zagri] does it through filmmaking, and we’re doing it through acting.”
In fact, Zagri identifies this phenomenon as a growing trend on the big screen, especially when it comes to the burgeoning superhero genre: The successful films are the ones that result from a writer or director’s deep love for and connection to the source material.
“In a way, a lot of the films being done now,” said Ignis, “whether it be Guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool, or any of the things that are in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—they’re all fan films.”
We sat down with the cast, Zagri, Minassian and Arntzen to discuss important Harry Potter themes, surprise Dumbledore appearances and real magic in this special peek behind the scenes of “Severus Snape and the Marauders.”
Video produced by Allyson Gronowitz and Lara Altunian.
Text and Photograph by Allyson Gronowitz.