While Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is currently smashing box office records left and right, one common question being asked by fans is, “What now?”. The seven book Potter series (and eight part film series) finally reached its conclusion yesterday and people are looking to latch onto another fantasy. When Brave was first announced, I was enthused by Pixar’s first film with a gritty, fantasy feel to it. However, that’s not the only similarity to the series starring the boy wizard. There are four Harry Potter actors who are attached to star in Brave, including Kelly Macdonald, who is voicing the animated film’s main character!
Kelly Macdonald
Actress Kelly Macdonald (Margaret in Boardwalk Empire, Carla in No Country For Old Men, Peter Pan in Finding Neverland, Diane in Trainspotting) only recently joined the Potter franchise, starring in the last film as Helena Ravenclaw, the Grey Lady. Playing Princess Merida in Brave, the great Scotland-born actress will likely shine.
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson (various characters in Angels in America, Karen in Love Actually, Karen in Stranger Than Fiction) starred as the confused Professor Sybil Trelawney starting with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She is set to star as Queen Elinor (another major character) in Brave.
Robbie Coltrane
Actor Robbie Coltrane (Valentin in Goldeneye and The World is Not Enough, Matsui in Ocean’s Twelve), who is another Scotland native, starred as the loveable (and huge) Hagrid and appeared in all eight Harry Potter films. He stars as Lord Dingwall in Brave.
Julie Walters
Finally, Julie Walters (Mrs. Wilkinson in Billy Elliott, Mrs. Austen in Becoming Jane, Rosie in Mamma Mia!) played the gentle yet strong Molly Weasley in each Potter film save for Goblet of Fire. In Brave, she stars as the Wise Woman. Wise women do not have a good track record in fairy tales, so I am curious to see how she turns out in the animated film.
It is not surprising to see this many Harry Potter actors in the Scotland-set Brave, as the eight-film series pulled in actors from all over the U.K. and Europe. If you were a great actor born in the U.K., you were likely approached for a role in the series. I almost expect to see more Potter actors hop on the Brave train, albeit for smaller roles.
Brave hits theaters on June 22, 2012!
[twitter-follow screen_name=’ThePixarTimes’ show_count=’yes’ button_color=’grey’ link_color=’FF0000′ text_color=’00ccff’]
