Successful pop-culture franchises have a way of sustaining themselves even after their initial stories are told. From Star Wars to Lord of the Rings, fans get so invested in the universes these films create that they demand to see prequels, sequels, and anthology films that chronicle the adventures of tertiary characters in obsessive detail. And when studios fail to green light these projects, it’s the fans themselves that have to step in and, at the risk of massive copyright lawsuits, tell the stories their own way.
One such story that might actually see the light of day is Voldemort: Origins Of The Heir, an impressive-looking Harry Potter fan film from Gianmaria Pezzato and Stefano Prestia, who, despite their names, are not characters created by J.K. Rowling. Last year, the duo attempted to fund their film on Kickstarter before it was flagged for copyright infringement and removed. Since then, however, Pezzato told Polygon that they’ve “had a private and confidential discussion with Warner Bros.” who gave them permission to “proceed with the film, in a non profit way, obviously.”
With the magically growing Fantastic Beasts series telling the story of Gellert Grindelwald, young Dumbledore, and the first great wizarding war, Origins Of The Heir aims to fill in the gap between Tom Riddle leaving Hogwarts and becoming the villainous Lord Voldemort, all events that take place before Harry Potter is even born. Despite being non-canonical, this is clearly a story fans are interested in seeing, considering that the film’s teaser trailer was released earlier this week and has already garnered over two million views. Barring any unforeseen lawsuits or magical mishaps, the completed film will be available to stream by the end of the year.